by PRAMOD THOMAS
A NEW play explores anger through the lens of be-
ing both south Asian and British, its Asian direc-
tor has said.
Speed, directed by Milli Bhatia opened at Bush
Theatre last Friday (4). It is written by Mohamed-
Zain Dada (Zain), and the cast includes Nikesh Pa-
tel, Arian Nik, Shazia Nicholls and Sabrina Sandhu.
Set in a Birmingham hotel basement, it tells the
story of a nurse, a delivery driver and an entrepre-
neur who attend a speed awareness course.
In an interview with Eastern Eye, Bhatia said, “The
play follows three participants and a facilitator.
“It is a new scheme being trialled by the Driver
and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), combining
different methods to rehabili-
tate individuals who
drive at excessive
speeds or have
been involved in road altercations. The programme
is specifically tailored as a speed awareness course
for aggressive drivers.
“The play raises intriguing questions about British
stoicism, particularly the idea of keeping calm and
carrying on, and what that means for second- and
third-generation British south Asians today, espe-
cially in the wake of race riots.”
She added, “It explores the themes of racing cul-
ture, car culture, and our community’s relationship
with cars.
“During our research, we have been looking at
Zimmers of Southall, a photography book by Hark
Karan, which celebrates our community and its deep
connection with cars in this country. We also drew
inspiration from [Turner Prize winner] Jasleen
Kaur’s recent exhibition at Tate, which includes an
installation of a car with a giant doily on it. I inter-
preted it as a beautiful symbol of first-generation
migrants acquiring their own cars and the
care they place in them.
“Through this process, we have deep-
ly examined car culture and how it
specifically relates to our commu-
nity — this is very much reflected
in the play.”
Bhatia said Speed poses im-
portant questions about how we
are permitted to express anger,
and the extent to which we
suppress it to avoid being mis-
interpreted or judged. She
added, “Zain, the writer, was inspired by his own
experience of attending a speed awareness course.
He was fascinated by the dramatic potential of stran-
gers coming together in a room, wanting to present
themselves in a certain way while also being exposed
to situations that make them feel vulnerable.
“The play isn’t directly about this, but many of us
have been reflecting on how much permission we
feel to express ourselves, particularly after last sum-
mer’s race riots [after the Southport killings]. There
was horrific footage of south Asian men simply walk-
ing down the street and being attacked for being
there. That was terrifying for us.
“We are all very aware of what previous generations
of Indians in this country endured. We’ve spoken to
our parents and grandparents about the National
Front, the Southall riots, and the incredible resistance
movements they were part of – things that aren’t
widely celebrated or discussed. That’s why Defiance,
the Channel 4 series, felt like such an important mo-
ment in acknowledging our history of protest.
“After the race riots, we gained a new perspective
on what our parents and grandparents had told us.
We experienced real fear, which made us question
anger – where it goes, how much of it we’re allowed
to express. That context made the play feel dramati-
cally compelling.”
Bhatia said she hoped south Asians who come to
watch that play will experience that same sense of
recognition as Speed poses “meaningful questions
for them”.
“At its core, however, Speed focuses on speed-
ing and aggressive driving. Applying this issue
to the south Asian community, and particularly
to our generation, is fascinating. We are often
referred to as the angry generation, and the facilita-
tor in the play frequently references academic dis-
cussions on anger.
“[Roman philosopher] Seneca, for instance,
viewed anger as a useless emotion. However, I
was recently listening to Gabor Maté, Canadian phy-
sician and author, who argues that anger is essen-
tial for survival. This theme feels particularly poign-
ant now, considering that only last summer, south
Asians were attacked simply for their visibility.
Looking at how earlier generations navigated these
issues has been as crucial as examining what it
means for us today.”
Bhatia has been nominated twice for the Olivier
Awards for Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner
and Blue Mist.
A former associate director at the Royal Court
Theatre, she has worked with leading theatres across
the UK and internationally, with productions staged
in the West End, New York, and Sweden.
Describing her journey in the arts, she said, “I al-
ways knew I wanted to be a storyteller, and I was
lucky to grow up in a home where my parents [ac-
tress Meera Syal and her former husband, the jour-
nalist Shekhar Bhatia] and grandparents actively
encouraged that.
“I started directing at university when I was 18,
though it wasn’t something I initially planned to do. I
was studying drama and English, and I knew I wanted
to work in the arts, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity.”
“At one point, I thought I might become an actor,
but I was also volunteering at a women’s refuge at
the time. I had done so in London, and when I
moved to Norwich for university, I continued volun-
teering. They asked me to organise a fundraiser, and
I agreed. Since I was in the drama department and
had access to brilliant actors and resources, I decid-
ed to put on a play. That was the first play I ever di-
rected, at 18.
“Six years later, I was directing at the Royal Court.
It was quite a rapid trajectory. I quickly realised how
much I loved collaboration in theatre. Directing al-
lowed me to focus on two things I really cared about:
political themes (since the play supported the refuge)
and working with an all-female cast for that project.”
Bhatia said she was moved by a play by South Af-
rican playwright Yael Farber called Nirbhaya, which
was based on the Delhi gang rape incident. Even
now, years later, I think about that play. It opened my
eyes to what theatre could be and who it could be
about. It profoundly moved me, she said.
She said she feels creatively fulfilled by making
work that explores big questions about south
Asians, their place in the world, and the challenges
they face.
BBC’s award-winning
comedy Juice, starring
Mawaan Rizwan, has
officially begun film-
ing its second series.
The show will contin-
ue to follow the char-
acter Jamma, who
now finds himself
“jobless, sofa-surfing
and single.”
Rizwan, who both
writes and stars in the
show, will return
alongside the origi-
nal cast including
Russell Tovey as Guy,
Nabhaan Rizwan as
Jamma’s brother
Isaac, and Shahnaz
Rizwan as their moth-
er Farida. New guest
stars for this series in-
clude Mark Gatiss and
Tamara Lawrance,
with more names to
be announced.
The new storyline
sees Jamma in difficult
circumstances after
his “clowning around”
has caused significant
problems in his life.
When a mysterious
character offers to
help him change his
ways to win back Guy,
Jamma must make a
difficult decision.
“We’re back baby!
This series is wilder,
weirder and even a bit
scary. The team are
on fire and the cast
are funnier than ever.
Brace yourself. The
storm is coming,”
said Rizwan.
First aired on BBC
Three in 2023, the
show has received
several awards, in-
cluding an RTS Award
for Comedy Drama
and a BAFTA for Best
Male Performance in
a Comedy for Rizwan.
The six-episode se-
ries is produced by
Various Artists Limit-
ed for BBC Three and
BBC iPlayer.
News
Instagram.com/easterneyenews/ • www.easterneye.biz • April 11, 2025
Play questions how anger is expressed
MAIMUNA MEMON was
crowned as best actress in a
supporting role in a musical
at the Olivier theatre awards
last Sunday (6).
Memon won the honour
for her role as Sonya in
Natasha, Pierre and The
Great Comet of 1812 during
the star-studded event at the
Royal Albert Hall.
Natasha, Pierre & The
Great Comet of 1812 adapts
a 70-page segment from
Leo Tolstoy’s 1869 classic
novel War and Peace. Dave
Malloy created the sung-
through production with Ra-
chel Chavkin serving as orig-
inal director.
Born in Preston, Lanca-
shire to an Irish mother and
a Pakistani father, Memon
spent her early childhood
in Darwen.
Meera Syal and Indira
Varma, who were nominated
for the best actress award,
lost to Lesley Manville who
won in that category for her
performance as Jocasta in
Oedipus, which concluded
last year.
Syal was nominated for A
Tupperware Of Ashes at the
National Theatre and Varma
for Oedipus at the Old Vic.
Giant, starring John Lith-
gow as author Roald Dahl,
and a musical reimagining of
The Curious Case of Benja-
min Button were among the
many winners of Olivier
awards, picking up three
prizes each.
Lithgow won the best actor
prize for his turn as Dahl in
Mark Rosenblatt’s Giant, an
account of the fall-
out from a 1983
book review
written by
the author
that provoked
accusations
of anti-
Semitism.
“I am
literally
trem-
bling all over. I have never
been quite so shaken by a
happy event,” the veteran ac-
tor said.
“It was also extremely
emotional to be embraced
by the English theatre com-
munity like
that. I can’t
even tell
you what
it means.”
Giant
also won
best new
play and
Lithgow’s co-
star Elliot
Levey won best actor in a
supporting role.
Fiddler on the Roof won
three Olivier awards.
The musical of F Scott
Fitzgerald’s short story of
the man who ages in re-
verse, Benjamin Button,
reimagined for the theatre
in a Cornish fishing vil-
lage – won rave reviews
since its West End run started
last year. It received awards
for best new musical, out-
standing music contribution,
and best actor in a musical
for John Dalgleish as Button.
Imelda Staunton racked
up her fifth Olivier, winning
best actress in a musical for
her turn as Dolly Levi in the
hit show Hello, Dolly!.
Memon wins Olivier but Syal and Varma lose out
Juice starts filming
DRIVING DRAMA: Milli Bhatia; and
(inset right, from left) Shazia Nicholls,
Nikesh Patel, Sabrina Sandhu and
Arian Nik in a poster of Speed
HONOUR: Maimuna
Memon; and (from
above left) Meera Syal
and Indira Varma
DIRECTOR SAYS SPEED TACKLES EMOTIONS OF SOUTH ASIANS SHAPED BY HISTORY AND FEAR
© Felix Pilgrim
All images © Kate Green/Getty Images