Harlesden High Street

Meet Karim, Rehaan and Ammi, three first and second generation Pakistani immigrants trying to make a living, a life and a home in the UK's cultural capital, London.

Another day on Harlesden High Street and business is not going well. Karim needs to save for Ammi's operation and time is running out. Rehaan wants to marry Firoza but who will take a man with such pitiful prospects? Something has to change and it has to change soon, but what hope is there when all they can sell is toilet roll and jackfruit?

Harlesden High Street is a feast for the senses, an explosive exploration of the meaning, value and significance of home.Thought-provoking, witty, carefully observed and beautifully written in verse, this is a play for everyone and anyone who has ever lived in London. Boasting one of the most diverse populations on the planet, London has an influx of thousands of immigrants every year. But what happens to this population when the country's social, financial and political climate is stretched?How are London's demographically diverse boroughs affected?What changes and sacrifices have to be made in order to survive?


About the Author
Abhishek Majumdar is a playwright, theatre director, teacher and actor based out of Bangalore. He holds Performing Arts Scholarships from Charles Wallace India Trust, the Inlaks Foundation and the London International School of Performing Arts. His plays have won the Hindu MetroPlus Playwright's award and the Toto Funds the Arts award and have been produced in India and England. He is also a part of the International Playwright's residency at the Royal Court London, 2011 with his play The Djinns of Eidgah. Rizwaan, his play in English and Urdu was part of the selection for the first festival of contemporary Indian theatre in Paris. Currently he is the artistic director of the Indian Ensemble Bangalore and also works with the HeadStart Children's repertory. He is a member of the Young Vic Directors Network, London and the Lincoln Center Director's Lab, New York, 2012. His latest work as a director, Gasha (Hindi/Urdu/Kashmiri), won the best play award at the META awards in New Delhi 2013.