Approaching Empty
Synopsis
Forget friendship. This is business.
In a scruffy minicab office, Mansha decides it’s time to create his own destiny and offers to buy the business from his lifelong friend Raf. As the realities of the state of the company slowly unravel, these two best friends must confront the difficulties of going into business with those closest to them.
Set in Northern England in the aftermath of Margaret Thatcher’s death, Approaching Empty is a razor-sharp new drama by award-winning playwright Ishy Din (Curve’s Wipers, Best Stage Production at Asian Media Awards; Snookered, Best New Play at Manchester Theatre Awards), which lays bare the everyday struggles of a post-industrial generation of British men.
@tamashatheatre #ApproachingEmpty
Running time: 2hrs (incl. 20min interval)
Age Recommendation: 14+
This production contains strong language.
AFTER-SHOW DISCUSSION WITH WRITER ISHY DIN
Fri 29 Mar, following the 7.45pm performance
Enjoy an after-show discussion with Ishy Din – writer of Approaching Empty and our 2016 Made at Curve production Wipers – and the cast following the evening performance on Fri 29 Mar. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the creation of the play, and is free with your show ticket.
Tickets
£20 – £10
DISCOUNTS*
£12 Under 16s
£15 16 – 26 yrs (with a FREE 16 – 26 Membership)
£12 Under 18s Schools
£2.50 off over 60s and registered unemployed
15% off for Members
£4 off for Groups 10+
*Discounts are subject to availability and may be removed at any time. Only valid on certain performances - terms and conditions apply.
Credits & Acknowledgments
APPROACHING EMPTY
by Ishy Din
Directed by Pooja Ghai
Designer Rosa Maggiora
Lighting Designer David Plater
Composer & Sound Designer Arun Ghosh
Dramaturg Lin Coghlan
Casting Director Polly Jerrold
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Reviews
Directed with pace and clarity by Pooja Ghai, this is an entertaining, well-crafted drama that portrays the lives of working-class British Pakistanis trying to make their way in a post-industrial northern town.
British Theatre
Engaging
The Stage
The basic premise of looking at Thatcherism's impact on an immigrant generation appeals...
The Telegraph
Fascinating viewpoints put forward in this detailed and focused insight into a world where familiarity still breeds contempt.
London Theatre 1
Din is a man to follow... Pooja Ghai's confident direction, which coaxes vivid and nicely nuanced performances from the cast.
WhatsOnStage
Din's play is an interesting insight into a profession we think we know so much about.
Broadway World
Din writes lovely dialogue, Ghai conjures a sleepy nocturnal atmosphere, and there is a very nice central performance from Darweish as the crumpled, weary but ultimately heart-breakingly optimistic Mansha.
TimeOut
Along with Mansha and Raf, Din has created a group of engaging, likeable characters that would be right at home in a primetime TV comedy drama.
British Theatre
Cast & Creative
Kammy Darweish
Karan Gill
Maanuv Thiara
Nicholas Khan
Nicholas Prasad
Rina Fatania
PRODUCTION GALLERY
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