Mumbai: The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and London’s Soho Theatre are collaborating to co-present Patchwork Ensemble's reprised version of their show, The Gentlemen’s Club, to audiences across two continents. This partnership underscores the exchange between two leading art centers from India and the UK. The Gentlemen’s Club, first presented at the NCPA in 2015 during the Centrestage Festival, will have its second run on 27 and 28 September at the Experimental Theatre. After its India run, the production will debut internationally at Soho Theatre in London.
The show takes audiences into Mumbai's underground club scene, following the lives of the city’s drag kings, led by Rocky, also known as Shammsher. Rocky’s act pays tribute to Shammi Kapoor and the golden era of Hindi cinema. Alongside Rocky, a diverse group of women performers embraces drag, delivering a cabaret-style performance that explores masculinity through dance, music, and projection.
Speaking about the collaboration between the NCPA and Soho Theatre to co-present Patchwork Ensemble’s production – The Gentlemen’s Club, NCPA’s head, theatre & films, Bruce Guthrie commented, “The collaboration represents a unique opportunity for the NCPA to expand its international reach and for Soho Theatre to engage with the growing thespian community in India. Through this partnership, we aim to elevate the local theatrical experiences and celebrate the mutual love for arts between the two thriving cities of Mumbai and London. The Gentlemen’s Club is a playful, yet powerful presentation and we are certain that the audience will receive it very well. We are excited to bring it back to the NCPA yet again and expose it to the audience globally.”
Soho Theatre creative associate Pooja Sivaraman shared her excitement about the show, "Soho Theatre has been working with Indian artists for over a decade and bringing their work to audiences around the UK. Last year we achieved historic milestones by presenting Zakir Khan at the Royal Albert Hall and supporting Urooj Ashfaq’s win of ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Edinburgh Fringe. We are now carving out a similar space for Indian theatre makers and their development of new writing.
This collaboration marks what we hope is the first of many co-presentations of theatre with the NCPA to platform stories by bold Indian voices. The Gentlemen's Club is a joyous exploration of Indian masculinity, and we are certain it will be a hit with our audiences on Dean Street. We are so proud to facilitate the exchange of contemporary work by South Asian artists."
