Niru is a young Bengali woman married to an English colonial bureaucrat – Tom. Tom loves Niru, exoticising her as a frivolous plaything to be admired and kept; but Niru has a long-kept secret, and just as she thinks she is almost free of it, it threatens to bring her life crashing down around her. Tanika Gupta re-imagines Ibsen's classic play of gender politics through the lens of British colonialism, offering a bold, female perspective exploring themes of ownership and race. This edition is published for the first time in Methuen Drama's Plays For Young People series, aimed specifically at students aged 16-18 to perform and study.
Tanika Gupta
Tanika Gupta is a British playwright and screenwriter known for her prolific work in bringing diverse stories and voices to the stage and screen. She is celebrated for her ability to merge Western and Eastern cultures in her writing, often exploring themes of identity, race, and gender.
Gupta's most notable works include "The Empress," "Lions and Tigers," and "A Doll's House." She is known for her powerful storytelling and her ability to create complex, multidimensional characters that resonate with audiences around the world.
Gupta's impact on the literary genre can be seen in her commitment to representing the stories and experiences of marginalized communities, as well as her innovative use of language and form. Her work has helped to broaden the scope of British theatre and bring attention to the voices that are often overlooked in mainstream media.
One of Gupta's most famous works is "A Doll's House," which reimagines Henrik Ibsen's classic play from a South Asian perspective. This adaptation has been widely praised for its bold reinterpretation of a canonical work and its exploration of themes such as colonialism, patriarchy, and cultural identity.
Overall, Tanika Gupta's contributions to literature have been significant, and her work continues to inspire and challenge audiences to think critically about the world around them.