Waleed Akhtar News

Olivier and Tony Award-winning actor, Ian McDiarmid will play MP Enoch Powell in Chris Hannan's searing play, What Shadows. Directed by Roxana Silbert (Artistic Director, Birmingham Repertory Theatre), What Shadows tells the story of Powell's explosive Rivers of Blood speech, bringing to life the community that inspired it and, 30 years later, its effects on a woman trying to make sense of her life.

???????Following an acclaimed, sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre, FRACKED! OR: PLEASE DON'T USE THE F-WORD will embark on a UK tour from April 2017. Alistair Beaton's provocative new comedy takes us to an idyllic English village threatened by an energy company intent on drilling for shale gas. 

Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, two of Birmingham's most iconic arts offerings, join together next month (September 2016) for the world premiere of COLD CALLING: THE ARCTIC PROJECT, a unique and captivating live performance piece.

Inspired by the true story of the first South Asian recipient of the Victoria Cross, soldier Khudadad Khan single handedly held off advancing enemy troops at the battle of Ypres (or Wipers) in the First World War, whilst a group of British and South Asian soldiers took refuge in a disused barn. Ishy Din's remarkable new play does not solely focus on Khan but he's consistently referred to in extremely high regard. The four soldiers who uphold the story have been ordered to take sanctuary until the gunfire ceases but until that time, they must find a way of pulling together to survive.

The Belgrade Theatre is thrilled to present the UK premiere stage production of Wipers, a new play by Ishy Din inspired by the real life story of Khuddadad Khan, the first South Asian soldier to be awarded a Victoria Cross for his extraordinary bravery at the First Battle of Ypres.

Chris Stafford, Chief Executive and Nikolai Foster, Artistic Director of Curve, today announce the full cast for Wipers, written by Ishy Din.

Back Down is a collaboration between Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the Roundhouse and is the debut play written by Steven Camden, who may be better known as the spoken word artist - Polarbear. The story centres around three friends who embark on a climb up Mount Snowdon as their final outing before Luke goes off to university. The play is ultimately about their friendship and how such change and growing up can put strains on their relationship. It is a sentimental piece of writing (perhaps overly at times) but is heart-warming and you can really relate to these characters on an emotional level.

BACK DOWN is the highly anticipated first play by Birmingham-born Steven Camden, more commonly known as the award-winning performance poet Polarbear. Directed by Birmingham Repertory Theatre's Associate Director, Tessa Walker, BACK DOWN is an insightful and funny coming-of-age story which will also tour regionally and nationally following its premiere in Birmingham.