Work by Dominic Rai highlighting Indian Soldiers in World War One
- 1986 to 2005
THE INVISIBLE ARMY
My whole career has brought me into contact with the role of Indians in World War One. In 1985, while at Tara Arts, I was part of the team which researched and devised Sepoy's Salt, Captain's Malt, a play about the war. In 1989, I had a commission for Tara called Portraits, which looked at the history of Asians in the UK including the role of Asian soldiers. A 1993 Mán Melá production, Asian Voices, included a memorable World War One scene.
The play, Across the Black Waters, was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the end of World War One. In the spring, a team from the company including myself, Gerald Wells and Caroline Goffin visited the Indian war sites of Flanders.
I hope you enjoy seeing Across the Black Waters as much as I have enjoyed helping to create the production. I hope it makes you think of the people who sacrificed so much and of the heartache of the people they left behind.
DOMINIC RAI, Artistic Director, Mán Melá Theatre Company, October 1998
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| 1986 |
Sepoy’s Salt, Captain’s Malt. Tara Arts, writer, Rukhsana Ahmad |
| 1989 |
Portraits. Writer and Director. Commission for Tara Arts. |
| 1993-1994 |
Asian VOICES exploring the British Asian experience from 1914-1993 |
| June 1998 |
Launch of Across the Black Waters at the Imperial War Museum |
| October – November 1998 |
Across the Black Waters including performances and workshops at the National Army Museum |
| Autumn 1998 |
Services of Remembrance – Crawley, Deptford, Chattri |
| October 1998 |
Remembering the Dead, The Albany with Commonwealth War Graves Commission |
| November 1998 |
Symposium at the Imperial War Museum
on the role of Indian soldiers in World War One |
| March 1999 |
Group visit to Flanders |
| October – November 1999 |
The Untouchable Century
UK tour celebrating the life and work of Mulk Raj Anand |
| November 1999 |
Contributions to: Like Another Mahabharata, BBC, Radio 4
The Unknown Soldiers – Granada TV |
| October 2000 |
The Pity of War and Peace, The Nehru Centre, W1
celebrating the life and work of Mulk Raj Anand |
| November 2000 |
Contributed to The Forgotten Soldiers BBC Radio 2 |
| February 2001 |
Descendants of Soldiers, Voice Box, South Bank, London |
| May 2001 |
Day trip to Indian Memorial at Neuve-Chapelle |
| November 2003 |
Across the Black Waters, National Archives, Kew |
| December 2004 |
Mulk Raj Anand 1905-2004 : A
tribute, Nehru Centre, London W1 |
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