Dara

1659 - Mughal, India

The imperial court is a place of opulence and excess - music, drugs, eunuchs and harems

Two brothers - whose mother's death inspired the Taj Mahal - are heirs to this Muslim empire

Islam inspires poetry in Crown Prince Dara

But inspires puritanical rigour in his younger brother Aurangzeb

Dara has the love of the people and of his emperor father

But Aurangzeb embodies a very different vision for India's future

And now they fight for succession

CAST
M15,F7

REVIEWS

"Beautiful, epic, a ravishing historical drama" ~ Financial Times

"Epic and often highly affecting ... addresses vital questions both about Islam's historic role and its place in the modern world...It's easy to imagine [this} will be studied in schools ... a magnificently ambitious project that throws both light and darkness on a crucial moment in world history" ~ Time Out

"A revelation, an epic play that uses mythic tales to speak to us today ... An intoxicating mix of family saga, history, politics and religion with enough drama and passion for any thriller" ~ British Theatre Guide

"Cuts to the thrust of the most critical, insoluble dilemma of our times; faith's absolutism against liberalism's tolerance ... Dara stands up for pluralism and there's real power in that ... An edifying evening" ~ Whatsonstage

Originally performed by Ajoka Theatre, Pakistan, Tanya Ronder's adaptation premiered at the UK's National Theatre, January 2015