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World Premiere: 15 September 2011, Curve Theatre, Leicester
London Premiere: 4 October 2011, Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
DESH is a full-length contemporary solo and the most personal work of Akram’s. DESH meaning ‘homeland’ in Bengali, draws multiple tales of land, nation, resistance and convergence into the body and voice of one man trying to find his balance in an unstable world.
Moving between Britain and Bangladesh, Akram weaves threads of memory, experience and myth into a surreal world of surprising connection. At once intimate and epic, DESH explores fragility in the face of natural forces, and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the rhythms of labour, in dream and story, and in transformation and survival.
For this production, Khan teamed up with Oscar-winning visual artist Tim Yip (Production Designer for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), fellow Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist lighting designer Michael Hulls, writer and poet Karthika Nair and Olivier award-winning composer Jocelyn Pook.
‘Those transparent Dacca gauzes
known as woven air, running
water, evening dew.’ (Agha Shahid Ali)
Trailer
Direction, Choreography and Performance Akram Khan
Visual Design Tim Yip
Music Composition Jocelyn Pook
Lighting Design Michael Hulls
Stories imagined by Karthika Nair and Akram Khan
Written by Karthika Nair, PolarBear and Akram Khan
Dramaturge Ruth Little
Creative Acting Director Zoë Nathenson
Eshita’s Voice Sreya Andrisha Gazi
Jui’s Voice Eesha Desai
Visual Animation created by Yeast Culture
Sound Design Nicolas Faure
Costume Supervisor Kimie Nakano
- Mark Monahan
- Luke Jennings