Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for Tanika Gupta’s Lions and Tigers

Full casting for Tanika Gupta’s new play Lions and Tigers at Shakespeare's Globe has been announced.

Gupta is the curator of the Globe's new Festival of Independence, which honours those who have fought for independence across the world. The play is based on the true story of Gupta’s great uncle Dinesh Gupta, a Bengali revolutionary who fought against British colonial rule.

The show is directed by Pooja Ghai, associate director of Theatre Royal Stratford East.

Shubham Saraf (The Crucible, Guildhall School of Music & Drama) will play Dinesh Gupta. Esh Alladi (Nell Gwynn, Shakespeare’s Globe / ETT) will play Gandhi. Raj Bajaj (East is East, Northern Stage, Newcastle) will play Badal. Bajaj returns to the Globe after appearing in A Merchant of Venice last year. Bimala will be played by Sudha Bhuchar (Khandan, Birmingham Rep / Royal Court).

Additional casting includes Jonathan Keeble (Lady Anna: All At Sea, Bath Theatre Royal) as Tegart and Irwin and Tony Jayawardena as Subhash Bose and Jyotish, having recently performed in the Globe’s production of Twelfth Night. Adam Best (The Silver Tassie, National Theatre) will play Swann and Mills.

Lions and Tigers will run from 23 August to 16 September in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse as part of Shakespeare’s Globe’s Festival of Independence.