By: Eastern Eye
BOTOWN – THE SOUL OF BOLLYWOOD
When: Saturday December 11
Where: The Slade Rooms, Broad Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1HP
What: A concert featuring the acclaimed multicultural soul band that reboots Bollywood classics with a shot of late 1960s soul and funk, taking audiences on a musical trip from Memphis to Mumbai.
www.fatsoma.com
KISHORE KUMAR TRIBUTE
When: Sunday December 12
Where: Pinner Village Hall, Chapel Lane, Pinner HA5 1AA
What: The charity event in aid of Wiping Tears sees talented British singer Zaheer Abbas Khan pay tribute to late great Bollywood legend Kishore by performing his songs, accompanied by live musicians.
www.eventbrite.com
A COLLABORATIVE TOUR 2021
When: Sunday December 12; Thursday December 16
Where: Indigo at The O2, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES; St George’s Hall, Bridge Street, Bradford BD1 1JT
What: A concert headlined by music talents Farhan Saeed, Aima Baig and Leo Twins. The live show featuring a full band will see the artists performing the hits and familiar favourites.
www.eventbrite.com
INDIAN MUSIC AND FLAMENCO
When: Friday December 17
Where: Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London N6 5HG
What: A special concert with renowned multi-instrumentalist Baluji Shrivastav OBE on sitar and virtuoso flamenco guitarist Ignacio Monteverde. The musical styles will be played separately and then will be intertwined by the two great musical masters.
www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk
QAWWALI FAMILY NIGHT
When: Saturday December 18
Where: The Diamond Suite, 192 Adderley Road, Birmingham B8 1EG
What: Family-friendly qawwali night headlined by Saleem Sabri and party, performing all-time classics, including some of Pakistani music maestro Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s greatest hits. There will be a food stall and a chance to meet the performers.
www.eventbrite.com
EVENTS
MY HOUSE MY BARI 1971
When: Until Tuesday December 14
Where: Kobi Nazrul Centre, 30 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
What: A free exhibition celebrating the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence. Acclaimed artist Rahemur Rahman and young people from ‘A’ Team Arts, and Tower Hamlets schools, recreate a living space depicting the homes of the British Bangladeshi community in 1971.
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
BOLLYX – THE BOLLYWOOD WORKOUT
When: Saturday December 11 and Saturday December 18
Where: Frederick Bremer School, Siddeley Road, London E17 4EY
What: A ladies-only Bollywood fitness inspired workout, where participants will be exercising to some of the latest Bollywood and bhangra tracks.
www.eventbrite.com
DESI MASHUP 2021
When: Tuesday December 28
Where: Crescent Hall, 50 Dunstable Road, Luton LU1 1EF
What: An end-of-the-year party featuring performances by Muki, Haseeb Haze, Sparkaman, Bhangra Smash up and DJ SNYPER.
www.fatsoma.co
THEATRE
LIFE OF PI
When: Until Sunday February 27, 2022
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
What: A theatre play based on Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, which revolves around the sole human survivor of a shipwreck stuck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, as they battle to survive an epic voyage across the ocean. The cast includes Hiran Abeysekera, Mina Anwar, Nicholas Khan, Payal Mistry and Raj Ghatak.
www.londontheatre.co.uk
SLEEPING BEAUTY
When: Saturday December 11-Sunday January 16, 2022
Where: The Alhambra Theatre, Morley Street, Bradford BD7 1AJ
What: A pantomime headlined by popular TV personality Dr Ranj Singh and comedian Billy Pearce. The familiar fairy tale is given an interesting twist in the family friendly show filled with laughs.
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
DAWAAT
When: Tuesday December 14-Thursday December 16
Where: Tara Theatre, 356 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, London SW18 4ES
What: An inter-generational theatre piece that brings together food, poetry, live music, spoken word performances and contemporary south Asian dance, with female voices firmly at the heart of the production.
www.taratheatre.com
QUEEN OF HEARTS
When: Friday December 17-Saturday December 18
Where: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
What: A story of a fading Bollywood star struggling to reconcile how she sees herself with how the world perceives her, and the dialogue she has with her younger self. The production features musical interludes and the screening of two shorts from the Birmingham Indian Film Festival.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk
COMEDY
PAUL CHOWDHRY – FAMILYFRIENDLY COMEDIAN
When: Friday December 10; Saturday December 11; Thursday December 16
Where: O2 Apollo, Stockport Road, Manchester M12 6AP; Corn Exchange, King Street, Ipswich IP1 1DH; Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall, Theatre Square, Nottingham, NG1 5ND
What: The popular comedian returns with a brand-new stand-up show about the UK’s handling of the pandemic, why the rules of six only worked for white people, fame, England football fans and Tom Cruise landing his helicopter in someone’s garden.
www.paulchowdhry.com
THE INDIANS ARE COMING
When: Saturday December 11
Where: The Hawth Theatre, Hawth Avenue, Crawley RH10 6YZ
What: A laughter-filled stand-up comedy event featuring popular talents Sukh Ojla, Hyde Panaser, Jay Sodagar and Rahul Kohli.
www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk
SUKH OJLA: LIFE SUKHS
When: Sunday December 12
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD
What: Acclaimed stand-up comedian Sukh Ojla continues her solo tour of the UK with her show where she talks about subjects including mental illness, moving back in with her parents, identity and living a double life.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW: CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
When: Tuesday December 14; Sunday December 19
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD; The Assembly, Spencer Street, Royal Leamington Spa CV31 3NF
What: The entertaining comedy tour continues with Christmas specials featuring leading stand-up talent delivering plenty of laughs. Check the website for the full line-up.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
COBO: KINGS OF COMEDY
When: Monday December 27
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD
What: An end-of-the-year stand-up comedy special headlined by top talents Kane Brown, Nabil Abdulrashid, Guz Khan and Babatunde Aleshe. Expect lots of jokes and laughter.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
CLASSES
SHAKTI DIVAS BHANGRA FUSION 2021
When: Until Tuesday December 14
Where: Heston Community School, Heston Road, Heston, Hounslow TW5 0QR
What: A weekly bhangra-Bollywood dance class led by renowned choreographer Rakhi Sood, which is designed to keep participants fit in a fun and friendly environment.
www.watermans.org.uk
DANCE DOSTI
When: Saturday December 11 and Saturday December 18
Where: Southall Sports Centre, Beaconsfield Road, Southall UB1 1DP
What: A free dance class for people with any form of sight impairment, with their friends and family welcome to join. Learn Bollywood, bhangra, and other styles in a fun, supportive environment. Classes are for all abilities.
www.eventbrite.com
