BROADCASTER Harpz Kaur is thrilled that her acting debut is coming through a landmark stage production, more than 15 years into a career that has taken her from children’s television to some of Britain’s biggest arenas.
Kaur plays Devi Godmother in Surinderella, Rifco Theatre Company’s Bollywood and Bhangra-inflected retelling of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, which begins its UK tour at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry next Thursday (16).
The production will visit more than 10 cities between July and October.
“I’ve done a lot of radio, television and kid’s programmes. I feel I’ve got to a point in my career where the next step is to take on something like acting. I’ve always wanted to try it, and this came at the perfect time,” Kaur, 36, told Eastern Eye.
Kaur’s character is the reimagining of the traditional fairy godmother who narrates the story.
She said the role suited her presenting background closely.
“As a host and presenter, that comes naturally to me,” she said, adding the character gave her space to bring her heritage into the performance.
“I also get to explore the fun side of my character, which is very sparkly, very magical and very Bollywood. Even though I’m so connected to my culture, I really get to put that into my character,” Kaur said. “I just think this was the role I was made for; I really do.”
Surinderella is written by Pravesh Kumar and directed by Ameet Chana; they were winners at the Eastern Eye Arts, Culture and Theatre Awards, held last Friday (26).
The production is described by Rifco as the UK’s largest-scale British south Asian pantomime. It follows Surinder, played by Sonya Venugopal, whose life is made difficult by her selfieobsessed stepsisters Lovely and Bubbly, played by Andy Kumar and Raheem Payne, respectively. The soundtrack features music and lyrics by Bhangra artist PBN.
Kaur said the production’s cultural setting made the decision easier. “It’s a British south Asian production, so I was already interested. I watched Surinderella last year, and the production was amazing. I loved the music, the dancing, the songs, the costumes – everything was a little bit of me,” she said.
Kaur said trying something new mattered more to her than the risk of stepping outside her comfort zone. “I always believe that if I don’t try, I won’t know. So, this is my way of trying it, and if I like it, who knows how many other doors it might open,” she said.
She recently hosted performances by Indian singer Shreya Ghoshal at the O2 and rapper Badshah at the BP Pulse LIVE Arena in Birmingham.
A still from SurinderellaRichard Lakos
Earlier this year, Kaur appeared on the BBC’s The One Show in a segment marking Vaisakhi 2026, where she spoke about her cultural heritage. She also recently concluded her late-night weekend music programme on Virgin Radio UK.
The actress watched Rifco productions for years before a friend persuaded her to audition for Surinderella. She said, “I went through a whole audition process – a dance audition, a singing audition and an acting audition. It was very scary. I’d never done anything like this before,” she said.
“I only had about three or four days to learn some of the lines they’d given me. I had to go for a dance audition and learn the routine in an hour-long dance class when I got there. I then had to learn two songs for my singing audition,” Kaur said.
The wait for the result was short but tense. “I got the call about three weeks later, and I was very shocked because everything happened so quickly that I didn’t have time to process it,” she said. “I’m really happy, really proud of myself.”
Kaur said the production’s south Asian setting adds scale and spectacle to a familiar story. “Everybody knows the story of Cinderella, so if you imagine it in a desi world, it’s even more magical, because we get to go even bigger with the sparkle and the bling,” she said.
Kaur says the character gave her space to bring her heritage into the performance.Simmy Kanda
Writer Kumar said the production builds on established pantomime traditions with a south Asian sensibility, “We’ve always loved the ingredients of pantomime – the humour, music and pure spectacle; so with Surinderella we’ve added our own masala to the mix,” he said.
The show aims at “opening the door wider” for audiences who have not always felt connected to British pantomime traditions, he added.
Director Chana described Surinderella as “a massive celebration of family, community, and pure theatrical magic,” suitable for a range of outings, from family days out to group celebrations.
* Surinderella tour starts at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from July 16 to 19, before moving to the Beck Theatre in Hayes, St George’s Hall in Bradford, the Grove Theatre in Dunstable, Theatre Royal in Portsmouth and other venues through October.
