Samsara brings East and West together

LIVE PERFORMANCE

MUMBAI MASALA

When: Until Sunday August 28 Where: Proud City, 1 Mark Lane, Opposite Fenchurch Street Station, London EC3R 7AH

What: Spicy new immersive Bollywood musical experience, featuring hip shaking dances, heart breaking romance, hilarious comedy, and delectable cuisine.

www.proudcabaret.com

DILJIT DOSANJH

When: Friday August 12

Where: The O2 Arena, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES

What: The Punjabi music superstar ki­cks off a big UK tour and will perfo­rm his greatest hits with a full live ba­nd. Check website for further tour da­t­e­s in Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow.

www.diljitdosanjh.co.uk

SAMSARA

When: Thursday August 18 – Saturday August 20

Where: The Lyceum, 30b Grindlay Street, Edinburgh EH3 9AX

What: British-Indian dancer Aakash Odedra and Chinese dancer Hu Shenyuan team up for this moving contemporary dance duet, inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, which sees mythological storytelling bring East and West together.

www.eif.co.uk

TALVIN SINGH AND FRIENDS

When: Saturday August 20

Where: Curve Theatre, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB

What: The internationally acclaimed British tabla maestro Talvin Singh and acclaimed guest musicians deliver a one-off performance. Aakash Odedra Company will be presenting a short dance performance before the show.

www.curveonline.co.uk

AMJAD ALI KHAN

When: Sunday August 21

Where: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, South Kensington, London SW7 2AP

What: Legendary sarod master Ustad Amjad Ali Khan delivers a concert as part of this year’s Proms, with his music virtuoso sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash.

www.royalalberthall.com

RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN

When: Friday August 26, Saturday August 27, and Sunday August 28

Where: Resorts World Arena, Pendigo Way, Marston Green, Birmingham B40 1PU; and First Direct Arena, Arena Way, Leeds LS2 8BY; and The O2 Arena, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES

What: The qawwali maestro returns for another UK tour and will perform his greatest hit songs, together with his music ensemble.

www.ticketmaster.co.uk

KEM CHHE WITH BALI

When: Saturday August 27

Where: Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2UE

What: Charity music concert headlined by Bali Brahmbhatt, Saira Khan, and Vinod Shinde, with all funds raised going to educate children in remote parts of India.

www.becktheatre.org.uk

JAZZY B AND THE BOYS

When: Saturday August 27 and Sunday August 28

Where: The City Pavilion, Collier Row Road, Dagenham RM5 2BH; and Assembly Leamington, Spencer Street, Royal Leamington Spa CV31 3NF

What: The Canadian bhangra sensation returns to the UK with a full live band and will deliver a high-energy performance powered by his greatest hits.

www.eventbrite.com

NEHA KAKKAR LIVE

When: Sunday August 28 and Monday August 29

Where: OVO Arena Wembley, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA; and Utilita Arena, King Edwards Road, Birmingham B1 2AA.

What: The popular Indian singer returns with a full live band to perform her greatest hits and familiar classics in a family friendly show.

www.rockonmusicuk.com

ALWAYS AND FOREVER

When: Saturday September 10

Where: Elliot Hall in Harrow Arts Cent­re, 171 Uxbridge Road, Middlesex HA5 4EA

What: A charity concert tribute performance for legendary Bollywood singers Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar delivered by acclaimed British music act KayKay and Co, in aid of Dementia UK.

www.harrowarts.com

THEATRE

LIFE OF PI

When: Until Sunday October 30

Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA

What: 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.

www.lifeofpionstage.com

FAVOUR

When: Until Saturday August 6

Where: Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, London W12 8LJ

What: The new play from Ambreen Razia is a touching and hopeful drama of a working-class Muslim family that tackles duty, addiction, and the battle of putting yourself back together.

www.bushtheatre.co.uk

MRS KAPOOR’S DAUGHTER’S

WEDDING 2 MAURITIUS

When: Saturday September 10 – Sunday September 11 and Saturday September 24 – Sunday September 25

Where: Beck Theatre, Grange Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2UE

What: Fun-filled follow-up to popular theatre play Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding, which sees the dysfunctional family planning a destination wedding.

www.becktheatre.org.uk

CHASING HARES

When: Until Saturday August 13

Where: Young Vic, 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LZ

What: Award-winning theatre production revolving around a factory worker in West Bengal, who is recruited to write a play for a popular actress and sees it as a chance to expose injustice. The world premiere stars Ayesha Dharker, Zainab Hasan, Scott Karim, Saroja-Lily Ratnavel, and Irfan Shamji.

www.youngvic.org

BEYOND BOLLYWOOD

When: Wednesday August 24 – Saturday September 3

Where: Peacock Theatre, Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT

What: The popular show returns to the West End. It takes audiences on a journey through Indian culture, dance, and music, while presenting the vibrancy and beauty of Bollywood.

www.sadlerswells.com

COMEDY

VIR DAS: WANTED

When: Until Sunday August 28

Where: Pleasance Beneath, Pleasance Courtyard, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9TJ

What: Acclaimed Indian stand-up comedian Vir Das brings his brand-new laughter-filled show to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe festival and confronts important social issues head on.

www.edfringe.com

KAI SAMRA: NATIVE

When: Until Sunday August 28

Where: Pleasance Dome, 1 Bristo Square, Edinburgh EH8 9AL

What: Following his critically acclaimed Soho Theatre Live Amazon comedy special, award-winning comedian Kai Samra returns with a brand-new stand-up show about race, class, immigration, youth, homelessness, India and more 2010 indie-rock bands.

www.edfringe.com

PAUL SINHA: ONE SINHA LIFETIME

When: Until Sunday August 28

Where: New Town Theatre, Freemasons Hall, 96 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 3DH

What: The popular TV personality and comedian Paul Sinha returns to the Edinburgh Fringe with a hilarious new show filled with surprises, which demonstrates that Parkinson’s hasn’t robbed him of his ability to do stand-up, but enhanced it.

www.edfringe.com

NISH KUMAR – YOUR POWER, YOUR CONTROL

When: Thursday August 18

Where: Weymouth Pavilion, The Esplanade, Weymouth DT4 8ED

What: The popular stand-up comedian’s new show tackles important subjects such as political upheaval, Covid, current uncertainty and why he is taking it personally.

www.nishkumar.co.uk

CLASSES

FREE BHARATNATYAM CLASSES

When: Wednesdays August 10, 17, 24, 31 and Thursdays August 11, 18, 25

Where: Gamgee House, 2 Darnley Road, Birmingham B16 8TE

What: The Consulate General of India in Birmingham is organising regular and free dance classes on its premises. Participants need to register beforehand and will be allocated places on a first come first serve basis.

www.eventbrite.com

BOLLYWOOD DANCE CLASS

When: Saturdays August 6, 13, 20, 27

Where: CRATE, 35 Saint James Street, London E17 7FY

What: Fun Bollywood dance class focusing on movement and mindfulness.

www.eventbrite.com

FULL DAY INDIAN

VEGETARIAN COOKERY COURSE

When: Sunday August 21

Where: Hounslow, Lond­o­n

What: A trip to the local Indian shop to learn about ingredients will be follo­w­ed by a practical hands-on co­o­king course learning how to make a variety of Indian di­shes, along with learning how to use spices to add a depth of flavour. Ch­eck website for further cooking courses.

www.co­o­k­­i­n­g­wi­t­h­mo­n­i­sha.com