AN ASIAN actress playing Princess Sophia Duleep Singh in the new stage comedy, Monarchs Anonymous, said the role gives her a chance to highlight the story of the Punjabi princess whose fight for equality remains relevant today.
The play places historical rulers and royals into a group therapy session and brings together figures from different eras to confront their personal struggles.
While Harriet Sharmini Smithers portrays Sophia Duleep Singh, other characters include former England Kings Henry VIII and Charles II; former Queen consort of France, Marie Antoinette and former Mali emperor Mansa Musa.
Smithers said the show’s relevance lies in how it brings remote historical figures, including the royal family, closer to a modern audience.
She told Eastern Eye, “I think living in a country where we still have a royal family, these people can seem so far removed from us. But this show allows us to humanise them through comedy, and hopefully allows audiences to feel that these impressive historical characters have become more accessible. They can relate to them, but also just have a laugh at them.”
Each monarch in the therapy group is working through a different issue, Smithers said. Her own character’s storyline centres on questions of identity, while Henry VIII’s deals with how he viewed his treatment of his wives.
Smithers said. “It’s an amazing show to be part of because these kinds of themes can be discussed. Henry doesn’t necessarily see his actions towards his queens as something that was wrong.”
Sophia was the daughter of the deposed Maharajah Duleep Singh of Punjab and a goddaughter of Queen Victoria. She became a leading suffragette (supporter of the British Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) and took part in the 1910 “Black Friday” protests in Parliament Square. She also volunteered as a Red Cross nurse during the First World War, caring for wounded Indian soldiers.
Smithers described Sophia as “a global powerhouse of a woman” and said playing her was “a real honour”. She is currently appearing as Sophia in Sophia the Suffragette Princess of Punjab, a series of vignettes staged throughout the day at Hampton Court Palace, which runs until July 17. “I want to be able to do her justice, and her story resonates so well with what’s going on in today’s society,” Smithers said. “Even after nearly 100 years of legally having equal rights with men in England, Sophia’s suffragette fight for equality unfortunately still exists today all around the world.”
Smithers said Sophia brings a different dynamic to the therapy group because, unlike the other characters, she never ruled a country.
A scene from Monarchs AnonymousEastern Eye
“She is the only royal who had to fight to allow her voice to be heard, unlike the other monarchs who have power in their countries. Naturally, there are quite a few clashes in their personalities on stage. They all feel their way of ruling is the proper way to rule a country, and Sophia has her own thoughts on that. But she hasn’t necessarily ruled a country, so does that make her right?”
Working on the production taught Smithers about lesser-known historical figures, including Mansa Musa, and the actress credited the writers, Nadia Devereux, Joshua Poole and Lyon Devereux, with giving space to often overlooked voices.
Smithers, who has more than a decade of experience in the arts industry, said opportunities for south Asian and southeast Asian actors in Britain have grown since she began working in the industry.
She said, “During the time I’ve been acting, playing Princess Sophia Duleep Singh is something I never thought I would have the opportunity to do, because she is so inspirational to many people. There have been quite a few different takes on her, and on the family, in theatre over the last few years, so that has been really nice to see.”
She said the biggest challenge in the industry has been the shift to self-tape auditions since the Covid pandemic, which she said has created a new barrier for actors before they even reach a casting room.
According to Smithers, the lack of inperson direction has made the process harder to navigate. “There is also no real direction from a director, anymore. You’re just having to guess what the director or casting director is looking for. I really commend actors who are in the industry today because it has just become that much harder,” she pointed out.
Smithers said she hopes Monarchs Anonymous will appeal to a broad range of theatregoers.
“This show has something for everyone. We want to ensure audiences can find connections with these bold and brash, but also quite flawed, humans, because they are just human beings at the end of the day. We hope we can create a space where audiences feel like they have witnessed and been part of a therapy session. The audience participation is also a lot of fun, and hopefully they will walk away having learnt something.”
Asked what she hoped audiences would take away from the show, Smithers said she wanted people to leave either curious about history or reflecting on themselves and added, “We hope they have a lot of fun, because we are here to make them laugh.”
Her message to young Asian actors considering the industry was to persevere. “This is probably one of the best times to join because our stories are starting to be taken more seriously.”
Monarchs Anonymous runs at The Other Palace until Sunday (28)
