Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinner Ladies) will star as ‘Daljit’ in the new tour of ANITA AND ME, opening at the Wolverhampton Grand on 14 February 2017, and touring the UK until April.
Adapted by multi award-winning Tanika Gupta from the book by Meera Syal, directed by Roxana Silbert, with original music by the Ringham Brothers, ANITA AND ME will play Wolverhampton, Cheltenham, Blackpool, Nottingham, Bradford and Edinburgh.
Joining Shobna on stage will be Laura Aramayo as ‘Anita’, Sam Cole as ‘Sam Lowbridge’, Therese Collins as ‘Mrs Worrall’, Rina Fatania as ‘Namina’, Rebekah Hinds as ‘Mrs Ormerod / Deidre’, Sejal Keshwala as ‘Aunty Shaila / Fortune Teller’, Megan McCormick as ‘Tracey / Sandy’, Robert Mountford as ‘Shyam’, Tom Oakley as ‘Ned / Bazza’, Humera Syed as ‘Pinky’, Aasiya Shah as ‘Meena’, Aaron Virdee as ‘Uncle Amman / Mr Bhatra’, and Claire Worboys as ‘Mrs Lowbridge’.
The professional company will perform alongside eight actors drawn from the local community, with auditions taking place in individual venues.
This poignant coming-of-age tale follows Meena, a young girl growing up in the only Punjabi family in a 1970s Black Country mining village. Meena spends her days happily getting into scrapes with the other local children until one day the impossibly cool Anita enters her life.
Suddenly Meena knows exactly who she wants to be but is Anita all that she seems? Soon Meena’s world is turned upside down as she is caught between two very different cultures.
Anita And Me paints a comic, poignant, compassionate and colourful portrait of village life in the era of flares, power cuts, glam rock, decimalisation and Ted Heath.
Meera Syal said, “I’m delighted that Anita and Me is touring the UK. It is amazing to think of so many people engaging in this story – particularly young people, who like me as a child, may be wondering how they fit in!”
UK tour dates 2017
Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 February WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND
Tuesday 28 February – Saturday 4 March CHELTENHAM EVERYMAN
Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 March BLACKPOOL GRAND
Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 March THEATRE ROYAL NOTTINGHAM
Tuesday 21 – Saturday 24 March ALHAMBRA THEATRE BRADFORD
Tuesday 28 March – Saturday 1 April KINGS THEATRE EDINBURGH
