Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti

Theatre has a complex history of responding to crises, long before they happen. Through stage plays, contemporary challenges can be presented, explored and even foreshadowed in ways that help audiences understand the world around them. Since the theatre of the Greeks, audiences have turned to live theatre in order to find answers in uncertain political, social and economic times, and through this unique collection questions about This anthology brings together a collection of 20 scenes from 20 playwrights that each respond to the world in crisis. Twenty of the world’s most prolific playwrights were asked to select one scene from across their published work that speaks to the current world situation in 2020. As COVID-19 continues to challenge every aspect of global life, contemporary theatre has long predicted a world on the edge. Through these 20 scenes from plays spanning from 1980 to 2020, we see how theatre and art has the capacity to respond, comment on and grapple with global challenges that in turn speak to the current time in which we are living. Each scene, chosen by the writer, is prefaced by an interview in which they discuss their process, their reason for selection and how their work reflects both the past and the present. From the political plays of Lucy Prebble and James Graham to the polemics of Philip Ridley and Tim Crouch. From bold works by Inua Ellams, Morgan Lloyd Malcom and Tanika Gupta to the social relevance of Hannah Khalil, Zoe Cooper and Simon Stephens this anthology looks at theatre in the present and asks the question: “how can theatre respond to a world in crisis?” The collection is prefaced by an introduction from Edward Bond, one of contemporary theatre’s most prolific dramatists.

Morgan runs a community choir who meet weekly in a room above the local pub to sing great pop songs, chat and drink. There’s Paul, a former West End performer who now does local radio voiceovers; Esther and Joy, best friends who can’t stand each other; Anna, whose seemingly perfect life hides a secret; Ken, good egg and perennial loser; and Sheila, dark horse and pathological liar. The choir are busy rehearsing a concert to raise money for young Freddie to go to music college. And when a TV producer invites them to perform on national television, Morgan seizes her opportunity to hit the big time. But – are her eccentric group up to it? And what is Morgan prepared to sacrifice to get the acclaim she so desires? Home truths are revealed and secrets laid bare in this feelgood comedy with music, which explores loneliness and connection while celebrating the joy and power of community art. This edition of Choir was published to coincide with the production at Chichester Festival Theatre in August 2025.

In our shops we will be Kings of England. And we will make this place our place. The Bains’ corner shop in Wolverhampton has been at the centre of the family for three generations. Against the backdrop of a changing 20th century, Mrs Bains is balancing running the business, caring for her ailing husband and the demands of her two headstrong daughters, who each have their eye on a different kind of future. Fast forward to the present day, a family tragedy pulls Arjan Bains back from a life in London. The shop represents everything he was trying to escape, but with his mother insisting it remain open, how long can he stay away? This edition of Marriage Material, adapted from the critically acclaimed novel by Sathnam Sanghera, was published to coincide with the co-production at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Birmingham Rep in May-July 2025.

“In this country, you go as far as they let you.” _x000D_ Friday night and someone’s having a party. It seems like a laugh, but not everyone’s having fun. Nicky and Anjum want their kids to get into the best schools, and Gary is feeling the pressure after applying for a promotion. What happens when not everyone will get what they want? _x000D_ Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's new play about a group of working-class friends dreaming of a better life for their children questions the dream of class mobility, and what happens when the odds are stacked against you.

Vira hasn't seen her sister Deesh for years. Deesh's kids, Amy and Bill, want to know why but nobody's telling them anything. When Deesh invites her sister to Amy's flashy party, Vira reckons it's time to come home and move on. Time to stop watching the telly, get out of her council flat, stick on a glitzy sari and embrace her nearest and dearest. But is it possible to forgive and forget? And when a family is built on lies, will it be destroyed by the truth?

Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti has written extensively for stage, screen and radio. Her first play Behsharam (Shameless) broke box office records when it was produced in 2001. Her second play Behzti (Dishonour) won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2005. Behzti rocked the world of theatre when it was cancelled after protestsin Birmingham, forcing the playwright into hiding. The play’s closure sparked an international debate about offence and freedom of expression. In 2014, Khandan(Family) was co-produced by the Birmingham Rep and the Royal Court Theatre. This is her first collected works’ volume. Behsharam (Shameless) Two daughters, two mothers, one father, a cardboard cut-out and a foul-mouthed granny – a household at war and a family which will do anything to protect its secrets. Behzti (Dishonour) Past her prime, Min happily spends her life caring for her frail, vicious mother, Balbir. Today, for the first time in years, they’re heading out to the local Sikh temple. In a community where public honour is paramount, is there any room for the truth? Behud (Beyond Belief) A playwright attempts to make sense of her past by visitingthe darkest corners of her imagination. Inspired by the events surroundingBehzti, Behud is the compelling story of an artist struggling to be heard. Fourteen. 1983. Brainbox Tina’s parents are always shouting, her mum says she’s developing too quickly and her best friend Sharon has a dark secret. Thirty years later, Tina’s life hasn’t turned out quite how it was supposed to... Khandan (Family) Widowed matriarch Jeeto has a strong sense of her past and principles. She’s spent her life working hard and making sacrifices for her children. But eldest son Pal isn’t following in her footsteps. What happens when the legacy of a father collides with the dreams of his son?

What happens when the legacy of a father collides with the dreams of his son? Widow Jeeto Gill has spent her life working hard and making sacrifices for her children. Now she looks forward to going back to her land in the Punjab, eating saag and roti on a verandah and letting her tired eyes rest on green fields. Her son Pal seems to have it all but he’s restless. He’s got big plans for his Daddy’s business and a taste for Johnny Walker Black Label. However his kind-hearted wife Liz has her own ideas about what’s best. Meanwhile Pal’s sharp-tongued sister Cookie runs the tackiest beauty salon in town and harbours a dark secret. When their cousin’s destitute wife, Reema, arrives from back home, the Gills propose to take care of her. Little do they know that her arrival will change the course of their family’s destiny forever.

Behud (Beyond Belief) is the latest play by controversial playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. In December 2004, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s play Behzti rocked the world of theatre when it was cancelled after protests in Birmingham. The closure of the play sparked a vehement debate about offence and freedom of speech, as well as death threats for the playwright forcing her to go into hiding. In Behud, a playwright attempts to make sense of the past by visiting the darkest corners of her imaginations. Set amidst the theatre establishment, politicians and protesters, Behud is an imaginative response, inspired by the events surrounding Behzti, and the compelling story of an artist struggling to be heard.

A mother and daughter’s illusions are shattered when they head to the local Sikh Temple, as they’re immersed in a world of desperate aspiration and dangerous deals. Behzti (Dishonour) touched such a nerve in a Sikh community during its UK production that the playwright was forced into hiding because of death threats.

Teenager Sati loves Arsenal striker Ian Wright. Her sister Jaspal dreams of a singing career as a Karen Carpenter impersonator. But since their Mum left on a pilgrimage to India seven years before, Jaspal's life has been spiralling out of control... So what if she smokes the odd spliff and turns the odd trick? When Sati starts asking questions Jaspal can't handle, the pressure begins to build. The truth about the past that everybody has kept from Sati has to come out... Behsharam is Gurpreet Bhatti's first play. Set in Birmingham, it is a bold and original new comedy about one family's secrets and obsessions, dreams and dysfunctions.