Aysha Kala – The Theatre Playbook

The full cast for the return of Anupama Chandrasekhar’s The Father and the Assassin to the National Theatre has been revealed.

Mahatma Gandhi: lawyer, champion of non-violence, beloved leader. Nathuram Godse: journalist, nationalist – and the man who murdered Gandhi. The gripping play traces Godse’s life over 30 years during India’s fight for independence: from a devout follower of Gandhi, through to his radicalisation and their tragic final encounter in Delhi in 1948.

Directed by the Kiln Theatre’s artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, the play by one of India’s most exciting playwrights returns to the National’s Olivier Theatre from September 8.

Joining the previously announced cast is Marc Elliott (She Loves Me), Sasha Ghoshal (Bend it Like Beckham the Musical), Aysha Kala (The Motive and the Cue), Johndeep More (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) and Aryana Ramkhalawon (Exodus).

Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) will play the role of Nathuram Godse with Paul Bazely (Cruella) reprising his role as Mahatma Gandhi.

The cast also includes Azan Ahmed (The Tempest), Ravi Aujla (The Lehman Trilogy), Ayesha Dharker (Chasing Hares), Ravin J Ganatra (When Winston went to War with the Wireless), Raj Ghatak (The Kite Runner), Halema Hussain (Does My Bomb Look Big In This?), Nadeem Islam (Antigone), Tony Jayawardena (East is East), Nicholas Khan (Life of Pi), Raj Khera, Hari Mackinnon (The Cherry Orchard), Sid Sagar (Cabaret) and Akshay Shah (Kabul Goes Pop).

Director Rubasingham reunites with writer Chandrasekhar for this exploration of oppression and extremism. They are joined by set and costume designer Rajha Shakiry, lighting designer Oliver Fenwick, movement director Lucy Cullingford, composer Siddhartha Khosla, additional music by David Shrubsole, sound designer Alexander Caplen, fight director Kate Waters, casting director Alastair Coomer, associate set and costume designer Khadija Raza and staff director John Young.

Tickets: nationaltheatre.org.uk

Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, Tuppence Middleton and Janie Dee are in rehearsals for The Motive and the Cue, a new play directed by Sam Mendes for the National Theatre.

Opening in the Lyttelton Theatre on April 20, it is inspired by the making of Burton and Gielgud’s Hamlet. Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title in an experimental new production of Hamlet under John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.

The cast also includes Aaron Anthony, Tom Babbage, Allan Corduner, Elena Delia, Ryan Ellsworth, Phoebe Horn, Aysha Kala, Luke Norris, Huw Parmenter, David Ricardo-Pearce, David Tarkenter, Kate Tydman, Laurence Ubong Williams and Michael Walters.

The Motive and the Cue was originally commissioned by Neal Street Productions and has been developed and coproduced by the National Theatre and Neal Street Productions. Set design is by Es Devlin, costume designer is Katrina Lindsay, lighting designer is Jon Clark, composer is Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, sound designer is Paul Arditti, video designer is Luke Halls, casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham and associate director is Zoé Ford Burnett.

The Motive and the Cue is at the National Theatre from April 20 to July 15.