Bally Gill: ‘Theatre offers better roles for south Asians’
Gill says he is glad to be back on stage with The Harmony Test, which starts at Hampstead Theatre on Friday (17).
By Sarwar AlamMay 18, 2024
BALLY GILL has spent the last few years starring in the critically acclaimed shows Sherwood and Slow Horses, as well as the hit movie, Allelujah.
Having made his name playing Romeo in The Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) production of Romeoand Juliet in 2018, Gill told Eastern Eye he is glad to be back on stage with The Harmony Test, which starts at Hampstead Theatre on Friday (17).
Gill admitted there was a “massive gap” where he didn’t work and was left feeling like the theatre industry “didn’t really know what to do with me” despite winning the Ian Charleson award for best actor for his performance as Romeo.
“I go through phases where I get frustrated when it ain’t happening or you’re going in for things and they say they want diversity, but they don’t really want diversity,” said Gill.
“They say it’s open casting, but then they’ll go for someone that has a name (well-known). Sometimes the shows aren’t really catered for you to be in them and that’s a constant battle around politics, around what things are being produced on what things aren’t being produced”.
The 31-year-old played Oberon/Theseus in the RSC’s production of AMidsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, in January.
In The Harmony Test, he plays one of the lead roles alongside Pearl Chanda (The House of Bernarda Alba, National Theatre; Sea Creatures, Hampstead Theatre); Jemima Rooper (One Man, Two Guvnors, National Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Milo Twomey (Winter Solstice, Orange Tree Theatre) and Sandro Rosta who is making his professional debut.
Gill believes actors of south Asian heritage are actually more likely to get major roles in theatre, than in TV or film.
“The roles in theatre are so much better for me than the roles in TV and film,” he said.
With Pearl Chanda in The Harmony Test
“I get to do these parts that allow me to spread my wings in terms of the challenges of good roles; TV and film feel like they’re still a little bit far behind.
“Don’t get me wrong, you get a project here and there, and I know I’ve got it so much better than my peers that are older than me who, when they were coming up, had to take stereotypical roles or there weren’t any roles for them.”
Gill plays Kash in The Harmony Test, a newlywed who wants to start a family with his partner Zoe.
Zoe’s preference is to opt for fertility plans, vitamin supplements and a strict diet, while Kash seems intent on following the advice of someone he met in Holland and Barrett.
Their family planning is further complicated when they meet older couple and empty-nesters, Naomi and Charlie, who have been married for two decades. Naomi, frustrated and lonely, heads to the gym in search of a new lease of life. There she encounters Rocco – a younger personal trainer willing to take a “hands-on approach to the job”.
The play’s title comes from the harmony test, a non-invasive prenatal screening that checks for conditions such Down Syndrome. It also alludes to the struggles of the two couples to keep harmony in their relationships.
“This a young couple are trying to conceive, and we explore the complications of what starting a new family can ensue. And that is then juxtaposed with another couple who have been married 20 plus years; they have a daughter who’s gone to university and the demise of that relationship.
“There is a real juxtaposition of a relationship that starts with wanting to have a child and then one that’s had the child and fallen out of love with each other and everything that goes with the breakup of a connection and relationship.
“It’s all done in a very comedic, but also heartwarming and touching way of telling the story about these people in London.”
Gill revealed that he could relate to what his character Kash is going through as he is in a similar position in his own life.
“When I read it, it was so recognisable. The character Kash is an actor, so he’s going through the same sort of thing I am going through as a young actor, the same age, same part of my life where my partner and I in real life have had those conversations about kids, how can I do that being in this industry? What does that look like? The pressures that are put upon us – it really struck a chord with me.
“It changes your life (having a child). You’re not looking after yourself anymore or your partner, it’s actually another being and you have to give away a part of yourself, your ego and whatever you have for this other being who is now your responsibility pretty much until you die.
“I am always constantly asking people in this industry about having children, because we go away to do film and TV projects, it’s never really in the same spot. That’s something that’s interesting to me, as in, how do we balance that.”
Gill’s roles have enabled him to share scenes with some of the finest talents in the industry such as Oscar winner Dame Judie Dench in Allelujah.
“That was my first ever film, which was quite overwhelming. You get the call sheet and it says you got a two hander (scene between two actors) and it’s you and Judy, for instance, and then it’s you and Derek Jacobi and then Jennifer Saunders, and then Russell Tovey and then David Bradley – all these legends of British acting,” he said.
Gill revealed his theatre experience came in handy dealing with the pressures of Allelujah, his first film, especially as it is based on the Alan Bennet’s play of the same name.
“It felt very much like a theatre production. There was a lot of theatre people on the film,” he said.
“Richard Eyre, the director, very much thought about process and rehearsal. I was in conversation with him for months about character. It was really nice to feel like the first film I did was actually very theatre led.”
An actor he’s eager to share screen space with is his Slow Horses co-star, Gary Oldman.
“Gary Oldman, I’ve done four seasons of the show and I’ve not met him yet, which is sad. We went to the same drama school, obviously different times, but he’s a Rose Bruford College boy as well.
“I’ve been trying to get close, sometimes when we’re on set and you can kind of go between the trailers and I am like, ‘is Gary here? Is he around?”.
Gill has done projects in the UK as well as the US. He will next be seen the mini-series Under the Bridge starring academy award nominee Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon). Following that will be the TV series adaptation of the 1994 Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt film Interview with the Vampire.
Casting for these shows are often done virtually, meaning Gill travels to the US or Canada, where Under the Bridge was located, for filming.
“Self-taping in zoom is really what happens now. It’s very rare, but sometimes they do fly you out, but I’ve never needed to – which is good – otherwise, you make that trip all the way to LA and you don’t get the part,” he laughed.
“I’m fortunate to have British experiences – theatre, TV and film, and then, obviously, American stuff as well that shoots in Europe and all over the world.”
The Harmony Test runs at the Hampstead Theatre from Friday (17) to June 22.
A new mural by street artist Banksy has appeared on the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork depicts a judge hitting a protester, with blood splattering their placard.
It comes days after nearly 900 arrests at a London protest against the ban on Palestine Action.
The mural has been covered and is being guarded by security; Banksy confirmed authenticity via Instagram.
Banksy’s latest work at the Royal Courts of Justice
A new mural by the elusive Bristol-based street artist Banksy has appeared on the side of the Royal Courts of Justice building in central London.
The artwork shows a judge in traditional wig and black robe striking a protester lying on the ground, with blood depicted on the protester’s placard. While the mural does not explicitly reference a specific cause or incident, its appearance comes just two days after almost 900 people were arrested during a protest in London against the ban on Palestine Action.
Security and public access
Social media images show that the mural has already been covered with large plastic sheets and two metal barriers. Security officials are guarding the site, which sits beneath a CCTV camera.
Banksy shared a photo of the artwork on Instagram, captioning it: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.” This is consistent with the artist’s usual method of confirming authenticity.
Location and context
The mural is located on an external wall of the Queen’s Building, part of the Royal Courts of Justice complex. Banksy’s stencilled graffiti often comments on government policy, war, and capitalism.
Previous works in London
Last summer, Banksy launched an animal-themed campaign in London featuring nine works. The series concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift a shutter at the London Zoo. Other notable pieces included piranhas on a police sentry box in the City of London and a howling wolf on a satellite dish in Peckham, which was removed less than an hour after unveiling.
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Works are painted on bark cloth from Lake Victoria
Artist Shafina Jaffer presents a new chapter of her Global Conference of the Birds series.
The exhibition runs from 7–12 October 2025 at Mall Galleries, London.
Works are painted on bark cloth from Lake Victoria, combining spiritual themes with ecological concerns.
Exhibition details
Artist Shafina Jaffer will open her latest exhibition, Whispers Under Wings (Global Conference of the Birds), at the Mall Galleries in London on 7 October 2025. The show will run until 12 October 2025.
This practice-led series reinterprets Farid ud-Din Attar’s 12th-century Sufi allegory, Conference of the Birds, reflecting on themes of unity, self-realisation and the idea that the Divine resides within.
Material and meaning
Each work is painted on sustainably sourced bark cloth from the Lake Victoria region, using natural pigments, minerals and dyes. Large panels are formed from the bark of single trees, aligning material ecology with the spiritual narrative.
The series weaves together sacred geometry, Qur’anic verses and depictions of endangered bird species, underscoring the connection between ecological fragility and spiritual awakening.
Previous recognition
Whispers Under Wings follows earlier presentations in London and Dubai, extending the project’s message of peace, unity and environmental care.
A central work from the series — the Simurgh, conceived as a symbol of light (Noor) — was recently acquired by Prince Amyn Aga Khan for the new Ismaili Centre in Houston. A feature on the exhibition also appears in the September edition of Twiga, Air Tanzania’s inflight magazine.
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Each character in the set has been carefully designed to reflect cultural narratives
British-Bangladeshi prop maker Anika Chowdhury has designed a handcrafted glow-in-the-dark chess set celebrating heritage and identity.
The limited-edition set, called Glowborne, launches on Kickstarter in October.
Each piece draws from South Asian, Middle Eastern, and African cultural references, re-rooting chess in its origins.
The project blends art, storytelling, and representation, aiming to spark conversations about identity in play.
Reimagining chess through heritage
When Anika Chowdhury sat down to sculpt her first chess piece, she had a bigger vision than simply redesigning a classic game. A British-Bangladeshi prop maker working in the film industry, she grew up loving fantasy and games but rarely saw faces like hers in Western storytelling.
“Chess originated in India, travelled through Arabia and North Africa, and was later Westernised,” she explains. “I wanted to bring those forgotten origins back to the board.”
The result is Glowborne — a limited-edition, glow-in-the-dark fantasy chess set that blends craft, identity and cultural pride.
Anika Chowdhury says she has many ideas to further fuse craft and culture in future projects Glowborne
Crafting Glowborne
Each character in the set has been carefully designed to reflect cultural narratives: Bengali kings and pawns, Indian bishops with bindis, Arab knights, and African queens. Chowdhury sculpted each piece by hand, drawing on her prop-making training at the National Film and Television School.
Once sculpted, the pieces were cast in resin, painted, and finished with South Asian-inspired motifs filled with glow-in-the-dark pigment. “The characters glow both literally and metaphorically,” she says, “as a chance for them to take the stage.”
Cultural pride and visibility
For Chowdhury, the project is about more than gameplay. “Fantasy doesn’t need to fit into the Western mould to tell a great story,” she says. “South Asian, Middle Eastern and African stories are just as powerful, and they can transform something as traditional as chess by reconnecting it with its roots.”
She hopes Glowborne will resonate with South Asian and Eastern African communities as a celebration of identity and belonging. At the same time, she sees it as a bridge for wider audiences — chess enthusiasts, collectors, and design lovers who appreciate craftsmanship and storytelling.
A personal journey
Chowdhury’s career in film and prop-making has influenced her creative process, but Glowborne marks her first independent project. She created it outside her film work, after hours and on weekends.
“At 28, I finally feel like I’ve found my voice,” she reflects. “For a long time I felt pressure to hide my identity, but now I see my culture as a superpower. This project is about using art to express that.”
Looking ahead
Launching this October on Kickstarter as a collector’s edition, Glowborne is only the beginning. Chowdhury says she has many ideas to further fuse craft and culture in future projects. “This is the proof of concept,” she says. “I can’t wait to create more stories that blend heritage, art and play.”
Banksy’s ‘Piranhas’ artwork, painted on a police sentry box, is being stored ahead of display at London Museum.
The piece was originally one of nine works that appeared across London in August 2024.
It will form part of the museum’s new Smithfield site, opening in 2026.
The City of London Corporation donated the artwork as part of its £222m museum relocation project.
Banksy’s police box artwork in storage
A Banksy artwork known as Piranhas has been placed in storage ahead of its future display at the London Museum’s new Smithfield site, scheduled to open in 2026. The piece features spray-painted piranha fish covering the windows of a police sentry box, giving the illusion of an aquarium.
From Ludgate Hill to Guildhall Yard
The police box, which had stood at Ludgate Hill since the 1990s, was swiftly removed by the City of London Corporation after Banksy confirmed authorship. It was initially displayed at Guildhall Yard, where visitors could view it from behind safety barriers. The Corporation has since voted to donate the piece to the London Museum.
Museum’s first contemporary street art
London Museum’s Head of Curatorial, Glyn Davies, said:
“With the arrival of Banksy’s Piranhas, our collection now spans from Roman graffiti to our first piece of contemporary street art. This work by one of the world’s most iconic artists now belongs to Londoners, and will keep making waves when it goes on show next year in the Museum’s new Smithfield home.”
Formerly known as the Museum of London, the institution closed its London Wall site in December 2022 as part of its relocation. It rebranded as the London Museum in July 2024, with £222m allocated by the City of London Corporation to support the move. The project is expected to attract two million visitors annually and create more than 1,500 jobs.
Part of Banksy’s animal-themed series
Piranhas was one of nine animal-themed works Banksy created across London in August 2024. The series also featured a rhino on a car, two elephants with interlocked trunks, monkeys swinging from a bridge, a howling wolf on a satellite dish, and a goat painted on a wall. Some of the artworks were later vandalised, removed, or covered up.
Preserving street art for the public
Chris Hayward, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, said:
“Banksy stopped Londoners in their tracks when this piece appeared in the Square Mile – and now, we’re making it available to millions. By securing it for London Museum, we’re not only protecting a unique slice of the City’s story, but also adding an artwork that will become one of the museum’s star attractions.”
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Aditya Chopra (right) with his father, Yash Chopra
BOLLYWOOD filmmaker Aditya Chopra was last Thursday (21) named among the nominees of the UK Stage Debut Awards for his Come Fall in Love – The DDLJ Musical, performed at Manchester’s Opera House earlier this year.
Chopra delivered a blockbuster in 1995 with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, popular as DDLJ, with Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead roles. It was adapted to a theatrical production and had its UK premiere in May.
Chopra reprised his role as director of the English stage production, which revolves around the love story of Simran and Roger.
Shah Rukh Khan visits the cast of Come Fall in Love The DDLJ Musical during rehearsals in London Danny Kaan
“This year’s nominees embody the future of British theatre, and I can’t wait to celebrate their achievements,” said Alistair Smith, editor of The Stage theatrical publication.
“This year there are several individuals with south Asian heritage being recognised for their excellence in directing: among the nominees is Amit Sharma for Ryan Calais Cameron’s Retrograde (in the Best Creative West End Debut category),” said the awards panel in a statement.
Also nominated are Adam Karim for Guards at the Taj at the Orange Tree Theatre, London, and visionary Indian filmmaker Aditya Chopra for Come Fall In Love at Manchester’s Opera House, who are both in the running for the best director category, the statement added.