Complete Cast Set for West End's East is East, Starring Jane Horrocks & Playwright Ayub Khan Din

The cast is now set for the West End revival of Ayub Khan Din’s East is East. Joining the previously announced stage and screen star Jane Horrocks as Ella Khan will be Amit Shah as Abdul, Ashley Kumar as Tariq, Darren Kuppan as Maneer, Nathan Clarke as Saleem, Taj Atwal as Meenah and Michael Karim as Sajit. Din will also star as George Khan in the production of his semi-autobiographical play. Directed by Sam Yates, the Trafalgar Transformed production will begin performances on October 4 and run through January 3, 2015. Press night is scheduled for October 15.

Horrocks’s stage credits include Annie Get Your Gun, The Good Soul of Szechuan, Aunt Dan and Lemon, Cabaret and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, which earned her an Olivier nod. She went on to star in the film adaptation; other screen credits include Absolutely Fabulous. Din, who may be best known for his performance in Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, was last seen on stage in Bunty Berman Presents (which he also wrote) off-Broadway. His additional writing credits include Last Dance at Dum Dum, Notes on Falling Leaves and All the Way Home.

Shah can be seen in the film The Hundred-Foot Journey; he has appeared on stage in shows including Hansel and Gretel, The Comedy of Errors and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other. Kumar’s stage credits include Tartuffe, Commercial Road and The Snow Queen. Kuppan, having previously appeared in East is East at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, has also performed in Rafta Rafta, Arabian Nights, and An August Bank Holiday Lark. Clarke’s stage credits include Pigeons, Privacy and Break the Floorboards. Atwal’s theater credits include All Our Daughters, Small Fish Big Cheese and Don Juan in Love. Karim has appeared on stage in Skane and Mogadishu.

Additional cast members include Sally Bankes as Auntie Annie, Rani Moorthy as Mrs. Shah, Hassani Shapi as Mr. Shah/Doctor and ensemble members Pamela Bennett, Deepal Parmar, Ash Rizi and Karl Seth.

East is East explores the clash of cultures between a multi-cultural family growing up in 1970s Salford. In the play, Pakistani chip-shop owner George Khan (Din) is determined to strictly raise his children in a Muslim household. His wife, Ella (Horrocks) becomes divided between her marriage and the free will of her children.

The production will feature design by Tom Scutt, lighting by Richard Howell and sound and music by Alex Baranowski.