Full casting is announced for Tartuffe, which opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 20 March. Originally directed by Birmingham-born Iqbal Khan for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 2018, this celebrated version of Moliere’s classic comedy by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto (The Office, Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No. 42) is revived by The REP for a Brummie audience.
Set in a Pakistani-Muslim community in Birmingham, Tartuffe tells the story of charismatic chameleon and con man, Tahir Taufiq Arsuf, a religious leader for the 21st Century armed with a Twitter handle and the gift of the gab.
Returning to play the title role (or Tahir Taufiq Arsuf as he is known in this production) is Asif Khan. Asif’s theatre credits include A Kind of People (Royal Court), The Hypocrite (RSC) and Queen of the Nile (Hull Truck). His TV credits include Diana & I (BBC) and Spooks (Series 10).
The cast also includes Raj Bajaj (Damee Pervaiz) and Simon Nagra (Imran Pervaiz) who both return to the production having been part of the show when it opened at the RSC. New to the production is Anshula Bain (Mariam Pervaiz), Elizabeth Cadwallader (DCI Sarah Wells / Pippa), Natalia Campbell (Amira Pervaiz), Natalie Grady (Darina, the Pervaiz’s cleaner), Clive Hayward (Khalil), Qasim Mahmood (Waqaas), Sakuntala Ramanee (Dadimaa Pervaiz) and Lloyd Thomas (Usman). Musicians Joelle Barker and Pete Yelding also join the production.
Director, Iqbal Khan, said:
I am excited to be revisiting Tartuffe and bringing it home to the city in which it is set following its successful run in the Swan Theatre at the RSC. I’m a Brummie and born into a Pakistani-Islamic family so the production has always felt like a very personal journey to undertake. I can’t wait to see it on stage at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Tartuffe is designed by Bretta Gerecke with lighting design by Richard Howell. Music for the production it composed by Sarah Sayeed with sound by Jeremy Dunn and movement by Shelley Maxwell.
Tartuffe is at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 20 March – 4 April (press night Tuesday 24 March, 7pm). Tickets start at £15 (£10 on previews and matinees) and are available from birmingham-rep.co.uk / 0121 236 4455.