A Tupperware of Ashes
a new play by Tanika Gupta
Booking and details
Dorfman Theatre
National Theatre, South Bank, London SE1 9PX
I’m falling through a world which makes no sense
An ambitious Michelin-Star chef, Queenie is used to having the last word.
But when her children notice gaps in her memory and her grip on reality loosening, they are faced with an impossible choice. As Raj, Gopal and Kamala battle to reconcile their life-long duty to their mother, the ramifications of their decision take on a heartbreaking permanence.
Tanika Gupta (A Doll’s House, Lyric Hammersmith) and Pooja Ghai (Artistic Director of Tamasha Theatre Company) reunite for their latest collaboration, following the critically acclaimed The Empress.
Meera Syal is Queenie in this vivid and heart-breaking family drama about life, immigration and the Indian spiritual cycle of death and rebirth.
Performed Until 16 November 2024 in the Dorfman Theatre.
Suitability
Please note: This production contains themes of death, grief, dementia and Alzheimer’s, discriminatory language, smoke, haze and references to racism.
Supporters
This play is a recipient of an Edgerton Foundation New Plays Award.
Cast includes
Raj Bajaj
Raj
Raj Bajaj
Natalie Dew
Kamala
Natalie Dew
Marc Elliott
Gopal
Marc Elliott
Stephen Fewell
Doctor Young / Jeff / Security Guard / Pavel
Stephen Fewell
Shobna Gulati
Indrani
Shobna Gulati
Avita Jay
Jamila / Bureaucrat / Care Worker 1 / Sanjivini
Avita Jay
Meera Syal
Queenie
Meera Syal
Zubin Varla
Ameet
Zubin Varla
Production team
Writer
Tanika Gupta
Tanika Gupta
Director
Pooja Ghai
Pooja Ghai
Set and Costume Designer
Rosa Maggiora
Rosa Maggiora
Lighting Designer
Matt Haskins
Matt Haskins
Composer
Nitin Sawhney
Nitin Sawhney
Sound Designer
Elena Peña
Elena Peña
For the National Theatre: The Hot Wing King, Trouble in Mind, Rockets and Blue Lights (also Royal Exchange, Manchester) and Brainstorm
Illusions Director and Designer
John Bulleid
John Bulleid
Movement Director
Anjali Mehra
Anjali Mehra
Fight Director
Rachel Bown-Williams of Rc-Annie Ltd
Rachel Bown-Williams of Rc-Annie Ltd
For the National Theatre: Boys from the Blackstuff (also Liverpool’s Royal Court and Garrick), The Father and the Assassin, The Welkin, Three Sisters, ANNA, When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, Peter Pan, The Threepenny Opera, The James Plays (co-production with National Theatre of Scotland and Edinburgh International Festival) and Cleansed
Fight Director
Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie Ltd
Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie Ltd
Casting Director
Naomi Downham
Naomi Downham
For the National Theatre, as casting director: The Grapes of Wrath, Underdog: The Other Other Brontë (also Northern Stage), The House of Bernarda Alba, The Crucible (also West End), The Ocean at the End of the Lane (UK tour), Hamlet (school tour) and Jekyll & Hyde (school tour)
Dialect Coach
Hazel Holder
Hazel Holder
For the National Theatre: The Grapes of Wrath, The Hot Wing King, Death of England: Closing Time, The Effect, Grenfell: in the words of survivors, Trouble in Mind, The Crucible, Death of England: Delroy, Blues for an Alabama Sky, Rockets and Blue Lights, Death of England, Small Island, Nine Night, Barber Shop Chronicles, Angels in America, Les Blancs and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Staff Director
Layla Madanat
Layla Madanat
Ticket prices
Monday – Saturday evenings and matinees:
£20, £35, £49, £64
Previews 25 – 30 September:
£20, £29, £39, £49
For concessions and discounts, see Ways to save
Please note the 6.30pm start time on the following performances: Tue 15 Oct, Thu 17 Oct, Tue 22 Oct and Thu 14 Nov.
Visit our Ticketing FAQs for information on how to book, ticket exchanges and more.
Prices may change according to demand
What's on guide
Download a pdf of the latest guide (2MB)
Download a large print pdf version of the latest guide (4MB), with most images removed.
Assisted performances
No Captioned performances available.
No Integrated BSL performances available.
No Audio described performances available.
No Chilled performance available.
No Dementia-friendly performances available.
No Relaxed performance available.
Details of the integrated BSL performances, including the interpreter, will be announced closer to the performance date.
Audio-described performances are preceded by a Touch Tour, 90 minutes before the performance start time. Call the Access line on 020 7452 3961 to book Touch Tours.
Audio description by Timna Fibert and Andrew Holland.
We have an allocation of tickets held for members of our Access scheme and if any of the assisted performances above are shown as “Sold Out”, tickets may still be available: Please log in to your account to view all available tickets, or call Box Office on 020 7452 3961
Smart caption glasses
Will not be available for A Tupperware of Ashes.
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Photography (Meera Syal) by Tami Aftab.