Following its acclaimed debut in India, The Gentlemen’s Club makes its international premiere this October in the first co-presentations between Soho Theatre and the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. Devised by Mumbai-based theatre company Patchworks Ensemble, this two-week run from the 1 to 12 October introduces London audiences to the vibrant energy of Mumbai’s thriving underground club scene exploring gender fluidity and queer performance.
Set in a fictional club night, where a motley crew of women take to the stage to embody masculinity with playful confidence and swagger, host and Drag King Rocky – aka Shamsher – performed by Patchwork Ensemble’s founding member Puja Sarup, is a magnetic tribute to Bollywood’s golden era and legend Shammi Kapoor. Rocky leads the charge in this dazzling cabaret experience which features an array of artists from the ensemble performing as Drag Kings extraordinaire in a mix of frivolity, dance, music and visual projection.
The hit production was originally produced by LGBTQIA+ organisation Gaysi Family in 2015 while Section 377, a colonial-era law criminalising queer identities, was still in effect. As India’s first show introducing audiences to the world of Drag Kings, it toured across India at various theatre festivals and alternative venues and bars. Weaving provocative storytelling with celebratory performances, this newly updated version of The Gentlemen’s Club pushes boundaries, offering a uniquely Indian perspective that redefines how gender and identity are portrayed on stage.
Pooja Sivaraman, Creative Associate at Soho Theatre, whose remit has been to develop and programme exciting new work by South Asian talent, says: “Soho Theatre has been working with Indian artists for over a decade and bringing their work to audiences around the UK. This collaboration marks the first of many theatrical exchanges with the NCPA in Mumbai–and I couldn’t imagine a better production than India’s very first Drag-King cabaret, The Gentlemen’s Club.
“On top of being a fabulous, Bollywood-infused night out, The Gentlemen’s Club is a rambunctious exploration of urban masculinity in Mumbai. The show is distinctly Indian and quintessentially Soho Theatre. It’s a wonderful embodiment of the audacious, glittery energy within our building and a sticky Mumbai club night. We are so proud to facilitate the exchange of contemporary work by South Asian artists and hope it will open doors for bold and diverse Indian stories to be shared globally.”
Bruce Guthrie, Head of Theatre & Film, National Centre for the Performing Arts, India adds: “Since arriving in Mumbai five years ago, one of my ambitions has been to bring productions created in India to the UK and tour them internationally. The Gentlemen’s Club at Soho Theatre feels like the perfect starting point. The show, which premiered at the NCPA, has evolved alongside Mumbai’s vibrant drag scene, offering a brilliant mix of comedy, storytelling, and a nostalgic celebration of the city’s underground drag king culture. I believe in theatre’s ability to surprise and introduce audiences to new worlds, and I’m confident UK audiences will find The Gentlemen’s Club to be a unique and exciting experience. Patchworks Ensemble brings such rigour and inventiveness to their work, and Soho Theatre is the perfect space for this lesser-known side of Mumbai to take centre stage on Dean Street.”
