1947 is a new three-act play by Zahid Fayyaz about a Bristol family that spent a lifetime waiting for the right moment to start living.
Set in Bristol, 1947 follows a British Pakistani family as a promise made a generation ago, thirty acres and a lifetime away, comes due in ways none of them are prepared for.
What begins as an ordinary family gathering gradually unfolds into a powerful exploration of inheritance, obligation and the stories families tell to survive. As long-buried tensions rise to the surface, the family must confront a past they have spent years avoiding.
This preview presentation marks the first public staging of 1947 ahead of its full production.
Written and directed by Zahid Fayyaz and supported by Arts Council England.
Running time: approximately 2 hours 45 minutes, including interval.
Cast:
Priya Blackburn as Salma
Amar Chaggar as Riz
Meneka Das as Mother
Jack Edwards as Council Official/PC Quinton
Michael Kodi Farrow as Mason
Kerena Jagpal as Reynah
Arif Javid as Father
Rico Morris as Nas
Directed by Zahid Fayyaz.
Assistant Director – Chris Abreu Lyons
Produced by Zahid Fayyaz
Co-Producer – Michael Kodi Farrow
1947 is generously supported by our sponsors Tuksy Chauffeurs and Box Makers Yard, Bristol, whose support has been invaluable in bringing this production to life. We are also funded by Arts Council England through a National Lottery Project Grant.
Presented by The Working Theatre, an independent producing home for new theatre by writer-director Zahid Fayyaz. Trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York and a graduate of the Soho Theatre Writers’ Lab, Zahid makes work rooted in the American Group Theatre tradition and drawn from British Pakistani and diaspora experience- stories about family, inheritance, and belonging. Their current production, 1947, is supported by an Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grant.
1947 is running a Suspended Ticket scheme alongside the production. Inspired by the idea of a suspended coffee, audience members and supporters can purchase a ticket for a stranger who cannot afford to attend. Tickets have already been donated by industry professionals and members of the public. If you would like to donate a seat, purchase an extra ticket at ticketsource.com/1947play and email theworkingtheatre@gmail.com. If you would love to come but the price is a barrier, please just get in touch. No explanation needed. No questions asked.