The Trouble with Asian Men

By Kristine Landon-Smith, Louise Wallinger and Sudha Bhuchar

Macho men or metrosexual guys? Mummy’s boys or blokes under their missus’ thumbs? Self-made entrepreneurs, pukka professionals and successful executives with their Mercedes Benz lives and designer-clad wives; husbands, sons, uncles, brothers and fathers – these successful, soulful and spirited Asian men have come a long way from their origins but they’ve all got roots! The Trouble with Asian Men is a vital, tender and hilarious insight into lives that surround us every day. From the award-winning theatre company that brought us East is East, a revealing verbatim comedy that has played to sell-out houses internationally.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aurora Metro Books
• Release date: Jul 5, 2017
• ISBN: 9781906582784

Book preview

The Trouble with Asian Men

created by

Sudha Bhuchar,

Kristine Landon-Smith

and

Louise Wallinger

First published in the UK in 2012 by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.

67 Grove Avenue, Twickenham, MIDDLESEX, TW1 4HX.

www.aurorametro.com [e-mail]

The Trouble with Asian Men © copyright 2012 Sudha Bhuchar, Kristine Landon-Smith and Louise Wallinger

Produced in association with Tamasha Theatre Company

With thanks to the Aurora team: Neil Gregory, Richard Turk, Simon Smith, Jack Timney, Ziallo Gogui, Imogen Facey, Kathleen Elise and Rachel Wenkert

All rights are strictly reserved. For rights enquiries including performing rights contact the publisher:

AURORA METRO PRESS [e-mail] Tel. [phone]

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

In accordance with Section 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the authors assert their moral right to be identified as the authors of the above work.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Cover photograph: Tristram Kenton

Printed by Berforts Group, UK

ISBN 978-1-906582-41-8

eBook conversion by Swift ProSys

ISBN 978-1-906582-78-4

The Trouble with Asian Men

created by

Sudha Bhuchar,

Kristine Landon-Smith

and

Louise Wallinger

For more plays from Aurora Metro go to

www.aurorametro.com

The Trouble with Asian Men

Creative Team

Tamasha would also like to thank everyone who agreed to be interviewed for the show and all those at Parramasala Ltd who have supported the company's visit to the festival.

The verbatim technique used in The Trouble with Asian Men was introduced to Tamasha by Louise Wallinger, co-founder of Non-Fiction Theatre Company. The show was first commissioned and performed by Tamasha in co-production with artsdepot, where it premiered on Tuesday 11th November 2005.

Tamasha means ‘commotion’, creating a stir.

Tamasha is an award-winning theatre company which has played a key role in driving the crossover of Asian culture into the British mainstream. The company was founded in 1989 by director Kristine Landon-Smith and actor/playwright Sudha Bhuchar.

Successes like East is East, Strictly Dandia and The Trouble with Asian Men have won acclaim from audiences and critics alike.

The company curiously investigates personal stories of cultural difference and connection as rich and radical sources for theatre, nurturing today’s unknown talent to become tomorrow's leading artists by delivering bespoke training and tangible professional opportunities with its Tamasha Developing Artists (TDA) programme.

Current projects include the development of a circus-theatre piece based on Shaun Tan’s graphic novel, The Arrival (2013).

‘I am a writer and without Tamasha I’d still be a taxi driver. My voice as a northern Asian would be muted and my attempts to open a window on a largely unexplored world would be firmly shut.’ Ishy Din, writer of Snookered

www.tamasha.org.uk