On Wednesday 7th February, Mehek premiered to audiences in Abu Dhabi and the reception was electric! Aakash Odedra, Aditi Mangaldas, Nicki Wells and our talented musicians Ashish Gangani, Faraz Ahmed & Hiren Chate graciously received a 2 minute standing ovation to celebrate this beautiful masterpiece that they have created, which tells the tale of a taboo love story between an older woman and a younger man.
After 5 weeks of rehearsals in Abu Dhabi, the culmination of the entire team’s dedication to creating and performing this piece has been evident not only in delighting and inspiring audiences across the United Arab Emirates, but also back in our home city of Leicester where the premiere was exclusively live streamed to all of our fantastic participants of Mehek Live. Mehek Live is a community project delivered in partnership with Moving Together that has engaged over 450 local elders in Leicester since September, through dance and music workshops. The project is supported and funded by a Nationally Significant Project Grant from Arts Council England, the first of its kind since the Covid-19 pandemic. Participants have openly shared their own inspiring stories with us that have been weaved into the creation of Mehek by Aakash and Aditi as a way to honour their experiences.
Having received a thrilling reception to Mehek, we are looking forward to bringing the production to various venues across the UK in April. You can find Mehek at;
Peepul Centre, Leicester – 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th April
Birmingham Hippodrome – 9th April
Sadler’s Wells, London – 12th & 13th April
The Lowry, Salford – 16th April
Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne – 19th April
Find tickets by clicking the button below. We hope to see you there!
Photography: Angela Grabowska
