Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood, based on Partition Voices: Untold British Stories by Kavita Puri
Tara Theatre and Donmar Warehouse, with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
HOME Manchester
April 30-May 4, 2024; 2 hrs 20 mins
In the aftermath of World War II, Britain was ready to be begin granting independence to its colonies across the world.
The argument for independence for the Indian subcontinent had considerable support in the UK, not just within government circles. The subcontinent’s contribution to the war effort, and its powerful independence campaigns, headed by traditional politicians and as well as striking individual figureheads such as Mahatma Gandhi, drew attention and empathy from large sectors of the British population.
Anyone alive in 1947, the year independence was granted, is now in their late 70s so it is important to make sure participant and observer stories are captured and preserved. Silence supports that by taking these stories to the stage.
One of the key questions at the time was whether or not India should be partitioned, establishing two countries: in simplistic terms, one dominated by Muslims and one by Hindus. Strong voices, including Gandhi, spoke against this but other strong voices prevailed, and India and Pakistan were established as separate countries. On partition, a mass migration of people, based on religious allegiance, saw old friends and neighbours turn against one another, accompanied by waves of extreme violence.
Silence is adapted from Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories in which, 70 years after partition, she documented the voices of British Asians. This production, commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of partition, is by Tara Theatre, originally co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse.
The history is not unknown to UK readers, particularly to an older audience – indeed it has been turned into superb TV - Jewel in the Crown; and Richard Attenborough‘s film Gandhi,among others. The images created in those are pretty much unforgetable, but they are largely seen through the eyes of the former rulers, the British Raj. Kavita Puri documented the voices of direct participants and observers – previous residents of India and Pakistan who now live in the UK.
The horror of those times is strongly conveyed by a hard-working cast of six. The first act presents the writer’s quest for first-hand accounts as the framing device, but it is not always clear who the different characters are. An early story highlights the 70-year memory of a young boy, now an old man, who recalls someone who was a good neighbour in the morning but murdered a neighbur by the evening
Silence is described as communal storytelling, and there is a problem inherent in translating this to the stage. There is no dramatic arc; no development, no explanation, and barely any opportunity for survival of spirit, understanding or redemption. The first act is a hard watch; when I saw it a few audience members didn't return after the interval.
That was disappointing, because the second act is so much stronger. Characters develop the story in greater depth, so while the whole play lacks dramatic structure, each story becomes a minor drama in itself. Bhaskar Patel brings some light to a developing love story, which eventually brings him to England; to remain Indian and become British, happily negotiating the changing landscape immigrants and their families face. Asif Khan’s 30-minute monologue of a young Sikh boy torn away from his long-term Muslim friend Saleem is one of the best performances I have seen. The monologue shows how simple storytelling can captivate a theatre audience.
With great drama, we often find ourselves sitting on the edge of our seat, awaiting the outcome, observing the effect characters have on events. We might do this even when we know the outcome: I still sometimes find myself waiting for Cordelia to open her eyes.
In this drama there is no option to change the story of violence, hatred and slaughter. Some of the parts seem to be greater than the sum of the whole. Perhaps there is another piece to be written about how the survivors have buried the horrors and moved forwards in new lives?
Perhaps the impact of the piece is greater on the many in the audience who knew little if anything of this history, as well as those whose heritage is close to the events. It is essential that this perspective is added to the story of partition, but when the characters on stage are unable to have an impact on events, the story can lose strength. There is some small drama in the story of how these voices have been captured, but clearly it cannot be allowed to outweigh the horrific real events.
An attempt to dramatise and disseminate previously lost voices is a key part of British history. The subject matter here could be better served through a clearer focus on what drama can do.
More info and tickets here
