THE P WORD Post-Show Discussions and ALT B Events to Mark Refugee Week at Bush Theatre
Shobna Gulati, Zarah Sultana MP, and Nikita Gill join discussions on Waleed Akhtar's Olivier-winning play.
The Bush has announced a series of special post-show events during the run of The P Word, including actor Shobna Gulati MBE, Your Party founder Zarah Sultana MP, author Nikita Gill and Dr Ranj Singh.
Three ALT-B events will also be held to mark Refugee Week 2026 (15 – 21 June), ALT B (aka Alternative Bush) is a platform for creatives, makers, and performers across art forms. It sees the Bush hand over its spaces to a diverse range of artists, including musicians, poets, and spoken-word artists, and hosts events that pop up all over the building.
Taio Lawson, Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Bush Theatre, said, ‘Our building isn't only about plays. It's a place for discussion, learning, connection, and work that engages with the politics and issues of our times. I see our ALT B events and The P Word's post show discussions as an opportunity to bring people together, to share ideas, and perhaps foster new ways to look at life'.
The P Word – Post Show Events
Programmed in partnership with writer, consultant, and Chair of Queer Beyond Belief, Hamza Jahanzeb, the producers of The P Word, Waleed Akhtar's award-winning play, present a series of post-show discussions, free to ticket holders.
June 11: Borders, Belonging, and the Stories We Carry with Shobna Gulati and Jasmin O'Hara, Founder of Asylum Speakers.
An actor, choreographer, and, most recently, a memoirist, Shobna Gulati has a wealth of experience in cultural inheritance across borders. Jasmin brings insights into the real-world experiences of refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced people. Both are interested in what it means to belong, what you can consider as being a "home", and what it means to carry identity (perceived or otherwise) across generational and geographical borders.
Shobna Gulati MBE, DL is an Actor, Dancer, and author of a memoir, Remember Me? Discovering My Mother as She Lost Her Memory.
Jasmin O'Hara is a human rights defender working in the field of international refugee support and founder of Asylum Speakers.
June 18th: Being Seen and Heard: Representation and Visibility in the Digital Age with author Nikita Gill and Dr Ranj Singh
Both in the public eye, both of South Asian heritage, Nikita Gill and Dr Ranj Singh are using their platforms to make the invisible visible. Here they discuss representation in a world of online and digital, and how storytelling is a means of resistance - who gets to be seen, and on whose terms.
Nikita Gill is an Irish Indian poet, playwright, writer, and illustrator living in the south of England.
Inspiring, fun and engaging, Dr Ranj is a TV personality with a difference. With a flourishing career ranging from Doctor and TV presenter to author and musical theatre star, he's an exciting and established talent who can turn his hand to any subject.
June 25th: Queerness, Justice, and Political Courage with Zarah Sultana MP and Richard Attendet from Micro Rainbow
An MP known for justice advocacy alongside an organisation supporting LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. Our season ends with an event at the heart of which is refugee and asylum solidarity, the politics of liberation, and what justice can look like when identities intersect.
Zarah Sultana is the MP for Coventry South. A prominent socialist voice, she is recognised for her principled advocacy for Palestine and social justice.
Richard Attendet has been working with Micro Rainbow since September 2022. His work is shaped by his lived experience as a refugee, giving him first-hand insight into homelessness, the asylum system, and the challenges faced by newly arrived LGBTQI people seeking safety in the UK.
All post-show discussions will be chaired by Hamza Jahanzeb. Hamza Jahanzeb is a London-based writer, critic, and editorial consultant, and is Chair of Queer Beyond Belief.
ALT B
ice&fire presents This Is Who I Am
17 June at 8 pm
Studio
Part of the Actors For Human Rights project, This Is Who I Am is a rehearsed reading of verbatim real testimonies of three LGBTQIA+ refugees navigating the UK asylum system. Told in their own words, the piece exposes the obstacles they face: repeated interviews, demands for “proof,” and the fear and uncertainty created by a hostile environment that questions identities and experiences. Their stories reveal the tenacious resilience required simply to survive, as well as the hope that drives them toward safety and recognition.
The performance is followed by a Q&A with members of the creative team, offering audiences the chance to explore the making of an Actors For Human Rights script, the realities behind the testimonies, the wider pressures faced by LGBTQIA+ people seeking asylum in the UK, and how audiences can support LGBTQIA+ refugees.
Director Sebastian Aguirre is the co–artistic director of ice&fire theatre company, a human rights activist, and a theatre practitioner from the Chilean refugee diaspora in the UK. They trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and led both Actors for Human Rights and the Queer Migrant Pride Fest at ice&fire, alongside delivering a range of participatory arts projects. Their recent work has included collaborations with SurvivorsUK, Rainbow Migration, Say It Loud Club, and Micro Rainbow. ice&fire is a charity partner on The P Word.
Tickets: £10.00, Concession £7.50, Feeling generous £15.00
Armenian Film Society London presents The Refugee Paradox
18 June at 8 pm
Studio
Moderators - Kira Adibekov & Tatevik Ayvazyan (AFSL)
Guests: Laura Avetisyan, Ovsanna Gevorgyan, Anna Mktrumyan, Ara Oshagan, and Susanna Petrosyan
Screening 3 short films addressing different experiences of war and forced displacement - Headless Horseman (2023,16 min), What Can I Tell You? We Lost Everything (2025, 6 min) and Armat (2024, 14 min).
This event explores the complex and often misunderstood reality of displacement through the experiences of Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and other Armenian communities. The word ‘refugee' implies the existence of refuge — a place of safety and protection. Yet for many, displacement is not temporary but an ongoing condition marked by instability, discrimination, poverty, and repeated migration(s).
Through three short films that address different experiences of war and forced displacement, the event examines what remains after exile and loss — the loss of life, land, home, and roots. A particular and urgent focus will be on the Armenians from Artsakh living in Armenia — a country that is not their homeland — and abroad, as displaced people facing profound uncertainty about their future.
The screenings will be followed by an in-depth discussion with the filmmakers and invited speakers from Artsakh.
Tickets: £15.00, Concession £10.00, Feeling generous £20.00
Compass Collective presents Hamlet, a 70s tragedy
Adapted and Directed by Robyn Faye
Produced by Charly Faye
Musical Direction and Composition by Lizzie Lister
Fight Direction by Lydia Fitzwilliams
Intimacy Coordination by Pia Rickman
Text Support by Bertie Taylor-Smith
19 & 20 June at 8 pm
Studio
Cast: Hamlet - Lydia Fitzwilliams, Ophelia - Charly Faye, Claudius - Leonardo Shaw, Gertrude - Lizzie Lister, Horatio - Ausette Anderies, Laertes/Player Three - Lula Marsh, Polonius - Rẹmi Shorunke-Samuel, Rosencrantz - Naheema Shafau, Guildenstern - Goda Liutkute, The Ghost/Gravedigger/Player Two - Magnus Rook, Bernardo/Player Four - Florence Overton, Marcellus/Player Five - Maddy Biggs, Francisco/Player One - Amber Frances
When the leader of a 1970s commune dies under suspicious circumstances, his daughter Hamlet seeks to avenge his death. But something is rotten within The Family, and although the commune is outwardly utopian, the predominantly female community grows more restricted by their Divine leader.
Marking the return of Compass Collective to the Bush, this striking reimagining of Hamlet places women at the centre of the story. Examining cult dynamics, patriarchal structures, and the illusion of empowerment.
This framing amplifies the theme of Courage, the official theme of Refugee Week 2026.
Many refugees show immense courage when they leave behind their homes and familiar culture, having to make painful decisions to protect themselves. They choose survival even when the future is unclear and, like Hamlet, they act not out of fearlessness, but because doing nothing is more dangerous.
Compass Collective helps young refugees and asylum seekers build resilience and integrate into the UK. They provide vital support, creative opportunities, and a sense of community to prevent isolation for those arriving in the UK unaccompanied. Each year, they support around 350 young people aged 18-26 from 28+ locations. This event is a fundraiser for Compass Collective.
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