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MARRIAGE MATERIAL

THURSDAY 3 JULY 2.30PM

What You Need To Know

Cast & Characters List

Unless stated otherwise, all photos are taken by Helen Murray

PLEASE NOTE:

This Chilled Performance will be a more informal performance environment.

This means that:

There are no changes to the content of the performance or the auditorium lighting level.

There is a relaxed attitude to noise and movement in the auditorium.

Auditorium doors will remain open to allow free flow in or out of the auditorium. You’re welcome to leave and return at any time.

Our front of house staff will show you where everything is and help if you have any questions

A chill-out space is available for you to use at any time during your visit, ask a member of staff and they can take you there.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Marriage Material, based on the novel by Sathnam Sanghera is a warm, witty, and powerful tale of love, identity, and tradition. The story follows one man ’ s return to his family’s corner shop as he uncovers secrets that help him discover more about his family and himself.

This production contains strong language and scenes that may impact some audience members. Further details are outlined on the next page.

This show is recommended for ages 14+.

The performance will run for approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes including an interval.

CONTENT ADVICE

Although Marriage Material is a comedy, please be aware that this production also contains:

Strong language and sexual references

Racism and racial slurs, including the ‘P’ word.

Anti-immigrant sentiment

Religious discrimination, in particular, Sikhophobia

Arson as a form of martyrdom

Misogyny

Body shaming

Family conflict

Terminal illness

Death and bereavement

Mental health struggles

Emotional abuse

Infidelity

Substance abuse

Depictions of drunkenness

If you have been affected by any of these themes, please visit our website to see a list of helpful organisations.

CONTENT ADVICE

Lighting & Sound

When you see a bell symbol, the scene might contain some loud noises.

Where you see a light symbol, there the scene might contain some strong lighting.

You are invited to bring your ear defenders, dark glasses or anything else that might help you enjoy the show. Speak to our Front of House Staff if you’d like to borrow some ear defenders or dark glasses.

OUR SPACE

Our new front door is located on Centenary Square, shown here:

Our Box Office (left) and Foyer (right) are shown here:

We have a Chill Out Space available for you to use at any time during your visit. Please ask a member of staff if you would like to use this space.

MEET THE CAST

Tommy Belshaw plays Jim / Bill / Tommy

Anoushka Deshmukh plays Surinder

Avita Jay plays Mrs Bains

Omar Malik plays Ranjit / Tanvir

Jaz Singh Deol plays Mr Bains / Arjan

Celeste Dodwell plays Claire / Mrs Flanagan / Reporter

Kiran Landa Kamaljit

Irfan Shamji plays Dhanda

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

The show begins in The Bains’ living room. The family talk about the general running of their corner shop and how the English locals don’t understand their religion and culture.

Dhanda (a family friend) tells the Bains’ that he is opening his own corner shop. The scene ends with a movement sequence showing Mr Bains’ health decline.

VISUAL STORY

buses. There is a protest planned which Dhanda encourages the family to attend.

Surinder speaks back to Dhanda and in shock Mrs Bains slaps her across the face. When he leaves, Mrs Bains grabs her by the hair and shouts at her. This is just stage fighting an one is really hurt.

VISUAL STORY

Left alone together, Mr Bains tells a story about Surinder being left in the sun as a baby - the old women of the village felt he didn’t need another girl - he talks about rescuing her, and it’s clear they have a special bond.

Surinder talks about getting her education and growing up to be a nurse or a teacher, but Mr Bains wants her to focus on getting married, especially as she is now sixteen.

VISUAL STORY

Surinder’s school teacher, Mrs Flanagan, comes to visit the family. Mrs Bains is keen for her to try her homemade chai tea and samosas but doesn’t want to hear what Surinder’s teacher has to say about her daughters education.

Mrs Flanagan thinks Surinder is a very bright student and wants Mrs Bains’ blessing for her to stay in school and continue her education. Mrs Bains reluctantly agrees.

VISUAL STORY

The family are preparing to go to the protest. Mr Bains worries that if Surinder stays in school she will become more like the English, and lose part of her culture. But Mrs Bains feels that Surinder can achieve more than being a housewife.

The protest is loud with people chanting and cheering. Tanvir and Kamaljit are interviewed by a reporter. Tanvir talks passionately about what wearing a turban means for his religion.

At the end of the scene, Tanvir and Kamaljit share a special moment.

VISUAL STORY

, , p explains that they are closed and asks him to leave, but he is very insistent. Jim tries out his sales patter and Surinder tries some of his chocolate, although she spits it out when she realises it is rum flavoured - she isn’t allowed to drink alcohol. During their conversation, a loud bang is heard off-stage and Surinder thinks its just her books falling over.

It’s clear that Surinder has a crush on Jim and when he leaves she dances around the shop happily, until her mother, sister and Tanvir return.

Mrs Bains goes to check on Mr Bains and screams - he has died whilst Surinder was in the shop talking to Jim.

VISUAL STORY

The cast perform a traditional Punjabi mourning song. We find out that Mr Bains has had a stroke. Dhanda talks about the extreme lengths Mr Bains went through to flee West Punjab as a young boy, and that he would have been proud of the recent protest.

Dhanda privately tells Mrs Bains that his wife is staying in India as she is old and their marriage is practically over and was never official. Dhanda offers to marry Surinder, to guarantee her future - Mrs Bains asks him to leave.

VISUAL STORY

Kamaljit, Surinder and Tanvir are re-stocking the shop. Jim enters and Tanvir attacks him by hitting him in the face with a mop. This may look very realistic, but it’s just stage fighting.

Jim explains that he stopped a group of men breaking into the family’s van, they all apologise and offer to make him some tea.

When they are alone, Jim invites Surinder on a date. He calls Surinder ‘Sue’ which shocks Kamaljit. The sisters dance together into the next scene.

VISUAL STORY

Tanvir is helping Surinder revise for her next exam, whilst Kamaljit helps her Mum with the chores.

Mrs Bains announces that both daughters will be going to Southall that weekend and will be staying there until they both find husbands.

As they are preparing to leave in the taxi, Tanvir asks Mrs Bains if he can marry Kamaljit.

Kamaljit rushes back in with a note from Surinder, it says she has left to be with Jim and they shouldn’t contact her again.

VISUAL STORY

Jim and Surinder are eating in a London restaurant. Jim orders Surinder a steak and a glass of wine, even though having these things is against her religion.

Jim says he has secured Surinder work in a factory, and he has sold her wedding jewellery to pay the deposit on their bedsit in London. Surinder seems to be unsure whether she has made the right decision.

VISUAL STORY

Time moves on, and we see the family a few years later - half of the stage shows Jim and Surinder in London, and the other half shows the rest of the family in Wolverhampton.

Dhanda says he is buying the property next door which annoys Mrs Bains - who is now suffering with dementia - and she swears at him. Dhanda wants Tanvir to sign a petition that young Sikhs learn Punjabi and Sikhi in schools. When they leave, Kamaljit tells Tanvir that she is pregnant.

On the opposite side of the stage, Jim and Surinder worry about how they are going to earn money as they have run out of things to sell. Jim plans to write a book or sell some poetry, and Surinder tries to help him be more realistic. Act 1 finishes with Surinder rebelliously cutting off her hair.

INTERVAL

There will now be an interval.

You can: Leave your seats to use the toilet

Buy some refreshments from the Café Bar

Use our chill out space on Level 1

Use our prayer room Visit the cloakroom to buy a programme

Stay in your seats if you’d prefer

VISUAL STORY

ACT 2

Act Two opens with a shift in time, we are now in the present day. We meet Arjan (Kamaljit’s and Tanvir’s son) and Ranjit (Dhanda’s son).

Ranjit is keen to go out and have a drink, but Arjan feels he needs to stay and look after his Mum. We learn that Tanvir has recently passed away from a heart attack, and Arjan is home for the funeral and to help with the shop.

Arjan tries to convince his Mum to move to London, or to move outside of Wolverhampton. He thinks she should sell the shop.

VISUAL STORY

Arjan and his fiancée Claire talk in the living room - she is keen to help Arjan’s Mum in the kitchen, but he encourages her to keep out of the way. Arjan tells Claire that his Aunt Surinder died in a car crash when she was sixteen.

We meet Bill, Claire’s Dad, who fears he may have blocked the toilet. Whilst Arjan fixes it, Bill worries he might say the wrong thing and insult the family.

Whilst Bill helps Kamaljit with the plates, Claire and Arjan talk about where his Mum should live.

VISUAL STORY

Arjan is re-stocking the shop when a drunk man called Tommy enters. He rants about there not being enough jobs, and Arjan refuses to serve him as he owes the family money.

Tommy becomes very aggressive and insults Arjan, using the ‘P’ word. Arjan wrestles Tommy out of the shop. This is stage fighting and none of the actors are hurt.

VISUAL STORY

Arjan and Ranjit sit in a shed, discussing Tommy, Ranjit is showing off and shows Arjan his nunchucks and sword. Now Arjan is back with his family, he wants to do more to support them.

Ranjit tells Arjan that his Aunt didn’t die in a car crash, she ran off with a gora (white man). Arjan decides he is going to try and find her.

They arrive at a council estate and knock on the door, whilst they wait they share a spliff. Jim answers and tells them that Surinder isn’t there, she left him years ago before they got married.

VISUAL STORY

There is a busy club scene with some flashing lights, loud music and haze.

During this club montage, Arjan and Ranjit take drugs and dance with women. By the end of the scene, Arjan dances intimately with one of the women, and kisses her.

VISUAL STORY

Claire and Arjan speak about a group of young people who recently stole from their shop. Arjan is frustrated that the police don’t seem to take his concerns seriously.

Arjan tells Claire he would like to end their relationship as he finds their racial differences difficult to manage. But this may just be an excuse, as he then tells her he has slept with another woman.

Claire is shocked and reveals to Arjan that she has found his aunt by looking for Sue Bains. She throws her drink all over Arjan before leaving.

VISUAL STORY

Arjan arrives at the hotel that Surinder works at and explains who he is. They have a lot to catch up on, as a lot of things have changed since she left the family.

Back in the family home, Kamaljit tidies the house ready for Surinder’s visit. The sisters ask each other lots of questions and Kamaljit talks about how difficult life was after Surinder left and how their family were shamed at the Gurdwara.

They forgive each other and Kamaljit gives Surinder her OLevels results from when she was 16. She had left the family before receiving them and she did very well.

Dhanda and Ranjit greet Surinder, they’re both pleased to see her being reunited with the family.

VISUAL STORY

The shop decor has been improved, and Surinder and Claire stand chatting outside the shop. Claire is returning the last of Arjan’s things from their London flat.

Claire tells Arjan that she slept with her ex-boyfriend and they part ways.

Surinder asks Arjan about their relationship, and Arjan says they split up because Claire is white. Surinder gives him some advice, saying his grandparents worked hard for him to have options in life.

VISUAL STORY

Some time has passed, Claire and Arjan meet in a park - they decide to get back together.

All of the cast come together for the final scene, they are wearing traditional Punjabi wedding clothes and all dance energetically to a bhangra song at Arjan and Claire’s wedding. Kamaljit and Surinder return as young girls, they’re dancing and carefree as if they have their whole lives ahead of them.

The cast bow and the audience may cheer and applaud.