NT Live
In collaboration with the British Embassy & the British Council in Athens
Live transmission from the Olivier Theatre of London
– Behind the Beautiful Forevers
With English subtitles
Pulitzer Prize-winner Katherine Boo spent three years in Annawadi recording the lives of its residents. From her uncompromising book, winner of the National Book Award for Non-Fiction 2012, David Hare has fashioned a tumultuous play on an epic scale.
Meera Syal (The Kumars, Goodness Gracious Me, Rafta Rafta at the National) returns to the National Theatre, directed by Rufus Norris (Broken, London Road).
Director: Rufus Norris
Set designer: Katrina Lindsay
Lighthing designer: Paule Constable
Cast: Pal Aron, Hiran Abeysekera, Esh Alladi, Nathalie Armin, Vincent Ebrahim, Tia-Lana Chinapyel, Sartaj Garewal, Mariam Haque, Thusitha Jayasundera, Muzz Khan, Ranjit Krishnamma, Manjeet Mann, Nikita Mehta, Anjli Mohindra, Tia Palamathanan, Ronak Patani, Bharti Patel, Pehrr Ramrakhyani, Anneika Rose, Chook Sibtain, Gavi Singh Chera, Stephanie Street, Anjana Vasan, Assad Zaman, Shane Zaza
India is surging with global ambition. But beyond the luxury hotels surrounding Mumbai airport lies a makeshift slum, full of people with plans of their own. Zehrunisa and her son Abdul aim to recycle enough rubbish to fund a proper house. Sunil, twelve and stunted, wants to eat until he’s as tall as Kalu the thief. Asha seeks to steal government anti-poverty funds to turn herself into a ‘first-class person’, while her daughter Manju intends to become the slum’s first female graduate.
But their schemes are fragile; global recession threatens the garbage trade, and another slum-dweller is about to make an accusation that will destroy herself and shatter the neighbourhood.