By: Pramod Thomas
LIVE PERFORMANCE
KATTAM KATTI
When: Friday November 19
Where: Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells, 183 Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TJ
What: The Pagrav Dance Company presents a contemporary Kathak production that taps into the competitive chaos, creativity, and colour of Uttarayan, the world-famous international kite festival of Gujarat.
www.sadlerswells.com
AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY: RISING
When: Friday November 19
Where: Watermans Arts Centre, 40 High Street, Brentford TW8 0DS
What: The internationally lauded dancer presents his highly acclaimed show created in 2011, which consists of four distinct contemporary solos that use his background in classical Indian dance.
www.watermans.org.uk
ZAKIR HUSSAIN
When: Sunday November 21
Where: Royal Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX
What: A musically rich classical Indian concert headlined by arguably the greatest tabla player of the modern era, Zakir Hussain.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
SEVENS
When: Tuesday November 23
Where: Nottingham Playhouse, Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF
What: An ensemble cast of UK-based Indian classical dancers and musicians will be sharing the stage in this triple bill show conceptualised and choreographed by award-winning Bharatanatyam dancer and choreographer, Nina Rajarani MBE.
www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
OUTWITTING THE DEVIL
When: Tuesday November 23-Saturday November 27
Where: Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, London EC1R 4TN
What: The Akram Khan Company presents an epic dance piece about ritual and remembering in the middle of our ever-changing planet.
www.sadlerswells.com
MID-DAY MANTRA: SANCHITA PAL
When: Saturday November 27
Where: Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, 8 Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2EA
What: Free concert at 1pm headlined by one of the most accomplished UKbased Hindustani classical singers.
www.bmusic.co.uk
BOTOWN – THE SOUL OF BOLLYWOOD
When: Saturday November 27-Sunday November 28
Where: Funky Music Café, 23 New Park Street, Leicester LE3 5NH
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 journey from Memphis to Mumbai.
www.fatsoma.com
EVENTS
DESI VIBEZ
When: Saturday November 20
Where: The Vault, East Wing, 300 Strand, Bush House, KCLSU South, London WC2R 1AE
What: A student party on the Kings College London campus on the Strand. DJ Enay, DJ Nish and other top DJs and producers will play the best in old and new school Bollywood, bhangra and urban desi beats.
www.eventbrite.com
MUSLIM MARRIAGE EVENT
When: Saturday November 20
Where: Royal Nawaab London, Western Avenue, London UB6 8DB
What: A Muslim marriage event aiming to provide a platform for people seeking life partners. Advisors will be available to support and assist individuals who feel shy or unable to initiate discussions with others.
www.eventbrite.com
BOLLYWOOD & BHANGRA DINNER
When: Sunday November 28
Where: Kanishka, 17-19 Maddox Street, London W1S 2QH
What: Dinner and dance event that will serve Indian food against the backdrop of big Bollywood and bhangra hits through the years.
www.eventbrite.com
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 struck 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
COMEDY
DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW
When: Sunday November 21
Where: Hen & Chicken, 210 North Street, Southville, Bristol BS3 1JF
What: The stand-up comedy tour continues with Hyde Panaser, Noreen Khan, Imran Yusuf and Nabil Abdulrashid delivering plenty of laughs.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
TEZ ILYAS: THE VICKED TOUR
When: Sunday November 21; Wednesday November 24; and Thursday November 25
Where: The Glee Club, Unit 7a, Mermaid Quay, Cardiff CF10 5BZ; The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD; The Glee Club, Castle Wharf, Canal Street, Nottingham NG1 7EH
What: A brand-new stand-up show with the comedian, TV personality and author as he uses his trademark silly, smart and subversive humour to celebrate all that people still have.
www.tezilyas.com
SINDHU VEE – ALPHABET
When: Monday November 22; Tuesday November 23; and Wednesday November 24
Where: Exchange, Market Street, Exeter EX1 1BW; Regal Theatre, 6 Fore St, Redruth TR15 2AZ; The Glee Club, Unit 7a, Mermaid Quay, Cardiff CF10 5BZ
What: A brand-new stand-up show with the popular comedian about the hair we want, the friends we have, and
living the vast difference between virus and viral.
www.sindhuvee.com
ZAKIR KHAN: LIVE
When: Monday November 22-Monday November 29
Where: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London, W1D 3NE
What: Following his two successful specials, Haq Se Single (2017) and Kaksha Gyarvi (2021), and selling more than 100,000 tickets around the world, the comedian returns with his uniquely Indian style of stand-up performed in Hindi.
www.sohotheatre.com
PAUL CHOWDHRY – FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMEDIAN
When: Tuesday November 23; Wednesday November 24; and Thursday November 25
Where: Royal & Derngate, 19-21 Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP; The Alban Arena, Civic Centre, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3LD; Sheffield City Hall, Barker’s Pool, Sheffield S1 2JA
What: The popular comedian returns with a brand-new stand-up show about 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
AHIR SHAH
When: Thursday November 25
Where: Hat Factory Arts Centre, 65-67 Bute Street, Luton LU1 2EY
What: The double Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee returns with a new stand-up show about significance, insignificance, and scurvy.
www.culturetrust.com
THE INDIANS ARE COMING – DIWALI DHAMAKA
When: Saturday November 27
Where: The Slade Rooms Broad Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1HP
What: Entertaining stand-up comedy show featuring top talents Sukh Ojla, Kiran Morjaria, Hyde Panaser and Rahul Kohli providing plenty of laughs.
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, designed to keep you fit in a fun friendly environment.
www.watermans.org.uk
HALF DAY INDIAN VEGETARIAN VEGAN COOKERY COURSE
When: Sunday November 28
Where: Hounslow, London
What: A trip to the local Indian shop to learn about ingredients will be followed by a hands-on cooking course on how to make a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes, and how to use spices.
www.cookingwithmonisha.com
