News
Instagram.com/easterneyenews/ • www.easterneye.biz • July 12, 2024
by PRAMOD THOMAS
YOUNG Asian artists have urged estab-
lished figures from the industry to help
support aspiring creatives from minor-
ity backgrounds to nurture their talent
and have a “network of people from a
similar background”.
International drama graduates Saadiya
Ali and Noel Prasad will feature their
double show, Hot Goss, based on the Bi-
ble and King Lear, each with their own
contemporary twist, at the Camden
Fringe next month.
In an interview with Eastern Eye, Ali
said, “To be very realistic and blunt, it is a
very difficult industry. It doesn’t matter if
you’re in the UK or in India. However, I do
think there needs to be more representa-
tion, and those who have already done it
should help their fellow people. But real-
istically speaking, it involves a lot of not
just physical work, but also emotional
and mental work.
“It would be amazing if there were
more people from our background and
other minority backgrounds in the indus-
try. It would make things easier. For ex-
ample, with this show, we wanted to have
an ensemble of people from ethnic mi-
nority backgrounds or south Asians. It
was quite difficult to find people willing
to do it. If there were more people, it
would be amazing to work with them.”
She added, “I would encourage people
to pursue careers in arts, because it would
be great to have a network of people from
our background to work with. I’m saying
(to aspiring creatives) definitely explore it
as a form of creative expression or as a
hobby at first. There is a lot of joy in this,
and you will learn a lot about yourself on
your journey as an actor.”
Produced by their company, Where’s
The Punchline Productions, Hot Goss has
two separate plays – The Assistant and
Honest Housewives of the Bible.
The Assistant, created by Prasad, ex-
plores office politics and power struggles.
It is described as a dark comedy inspired
by Shakespeare’s King Lear.
On the other hand, Ali’s Honest House-
wives of the Bible presents sacred stories
from a feminist perspective with humour.
Prasad said, “We are rehearsing, and
we’re also still fine-tuning our pieces.”
Ali, originally from Chennai in south
India, added, “These plays are self-writ-
ten works, with Noel crafting his piece
and me creating mine from scratch. Both
are based on classic literature. Noel’s play
is inspired by a famous Shakespearean
villain, specifically from King Lear, while
my source material is the Bible, which is
the origin of many foundational stories.
“In the Bible, there are numerous sto-
ries people often take at face value, with-
out delving deeper to explore their un-
derlying meanings. Our approach of ex-
amining and pushing these ideas offers a
fresh perspective that differs from main-
stream interpretations.
“Furthermore, presenting two fully
formed plays together as a double feature
is quite unique and rarely done. Our plays
stand out because, while many create new
versions of classic texts, we aim to blend
dark comedy with these classic themes.
“Additionally, as south Asian play-
wrights, we bring a different perspective
to European classical texts. This south
Asian viewpoint adds a distinctive angle
to our interpretations.”
According to Prasad, who is Indo-Fijian
and was raised in New Zealand, the big-
gest tool they use in the play is humour.
“I believe that making the audience
laugh is the best way to connect with
them. Our goal isn’t to highlight what’s
wrong or to dwell on negative aspects, but
to entertain and provoke thought. If the
audience leaves having had a good time,
feeling entertained, having laughed, and
perhaps thinking, ‘That’s an interesting
perspective, why didn’t I think of that?’
then we’ve achieved our goal.
“We want to create a space where peo-
ple can question things while enjoying
themselves, fostering curiosity without
feeling overwhelmed or uncomfortable.”
Prasad and Ali both studied at East 15
Acting School (University of Essex) in
Loughton, Essex.
He said, “Our plays tackle heavy con-
cepts such as inequity and office politics,
but by presenting them in a comedic way,
they become more accessible and enjoy-
able. We’ve tested our material exten-
sively in London, and audiences have re-
sponded positively. They connect with
the serious topics we address because
they are interspersed with punchlines.”
“Honest Housewives of the Bible specifi-
cally focuses on women from the Bible,
presenting important topics with hu-
mour. This approach has resonated well
with audiences, who appreciate the com-
bination of significant themes and come-
dic elements. By weaving these serious
topics with humour, we ensure that our
plays are thought-provoking and enter-
taining, creating a unique and engaging
experience for the audience,” Ali said.
Prasad and Ali revealed that despite
being from minority backgrounds they
both “actually had a really positive expe-
rience” in the industry.
Ali said, “People were very helpful and
resourceful. It’s been a great audience.
Also, they’ve been responsive to what
we’ve been putting out. A few years ago, it
was a lot more difficult. I feel quite good
about where things are heading in the
industry now. Creative industry for mi-
norities is a difficult path, but it has pro-
gressed a lot in recent times. It is a very
difficult path. There’s a lot of rejection,
heartbreak, confusion, uncertainty, and
pain. If you can handle it, go ahead. If you
break easily, don’t pursue it. There are a
lot of rejections in this field. If you have
resilience and perseverance, go for it. But
there is a stark reality that it takes a lot of
work, often as a labour of love, with little
financial reward for most.”
On her acting journey, she said, “I was
13 years old. I was a shy kid, but one day,
a house captain asked if I wanted to act
because they couldn’t find anyone to play
Robin Hood. That was my first role. I was
a chunky kid in green tights and a cape,
and I fell in love with being on stage. It’s
been a relentless pursuit ever since.”
Prasad performed in drama as a child,
but didn’t consider it professionally until
he was in his mid-20s.
“A friend started doing it, and I thought
I could try it again. I remembered how
much I loved it and carried on from
there,” Prasad added.
Asked about their expectation of the
show, they said, “We hope it’s received
well and people like it. We want to do
more runs of the show when we come
back to London. The expectation is that it
receives good feedback, allowing us more
opportunities to present it. This is our
first full-length show that we wrote, di-
rected, and produced on our own.
“It’s for anyone and everyone who likes
to challenge old stories and the way
things are presented. It’s not specifically
for one community; it’s for people who
enjoy theatre and our humour. Because
it’s a lot of fun.
“Some might find lessons in it, others
might find it trashy, but it’s an enjoyable
show with dancing, music, and twists. It’s
like a proper masala (entertaining) pro-
duction in theatre. It’s fun and energetic.
“We have different storytelling styles,
but people will resonate with different
parts of the show. There’s something for
everyone in there.”
They added, “We believe our material
is good and want to continue making
projects, even beyond comedy. We have
ideas for our next projects already.”
n Double feature show Hot Goss will run
in King’s Head’s subterranean Camden
Fringe @ 4Below on August 2-3.
‘Career in arts is tough for Asian
creatives, but it also brings joy’
PLAYWRIGHTS USE HUMOUR FOR FRESH TAKE ON SHAKESPEARE PLAY AND BIBLE TALES
THEATRICAL TWIST: Noel
Prasad; (right) Saadiya Ali;
and a still from Hot Goss