The Troth – Usne Kaha Tha
“An act of remembrance, an emotionally charged piece of movement…it unfolds with poignant clarity”
“A path-breaking vision of an Indian reality interpreted in contemporary choreography”
“The memory becomes luminous just before death…”
A gripping story of love and loss set during World War One.
Moving from rural Punjab to the Belgian trenches where young Indian men have been brought to fight for the Allies, we learn about the secret promise made by one soldier, Lehna Singh, as he makes the ultimate sacrifice to save another.
Akademi’s international dance theatre production is inspired by the classic Hindi short story Usne Kaha Tha. Marking the centenary of World War I, award-winning choreographer Gary Clarke unfolds the poignant narrative through contemporary dance, music and film. With music by Shri Sriram.
Creative Team
Direction and Choreography: Gary Clarke
Assistant Director: Daniel Hay-Gordon
Dramaturg: Lou Cope
Composer: Shri Sriram
Film: Josh Hawkins
Lighting: Charles Webber
Original Producer: Penny Andrews
Creative Consultants: Prof. Ashok Sagar Bhagat, Amarjit Chandan, Dr Santanu Das, Prof. Tripurari Sharma, Jasdeep Singh
Cast
Dom Coffey, Mithun Gill, Alistair Goldsmith, Subhash Viman Gorania, Vidya Patel, Deepraj Singh.
Previous cast: Daniel Hay-Gordon and Songhay Toldon
Supported by
India and Spring Tour Supporters and Partners: Ministry of Culture, Government of India; Armed Forces Covenant; Cockayne and The London Community Foundation; Open Fund, PRS Foundation; Indian Council for Cultural Relations; The Nehru Centre; Watermans; The Space; Jawahar Kala Kendra; Teamwork Arts; National Army Museum; Air India; Golden Tours Foundation; and Eastern Eye.
Additional support: New Dimension Arts, Nupur Arts, Sampad Arts, Katha UK, Hindi Samiti UK, Vatayan
Edinburgh Festival Fringe: British Army, Army @ the Fringe, Summerhall.
Autumn Tour: Presented in association with the British Army. Birmingham performance supported by Sampad Arts and the University of Birmingham India Institute.
Media Credits
Images: Simon Richardson
Trailer: Josh Hawkins
Location courtesy: Tara Arts
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