The show saw widespread four and five-star ratings from critics, a Lustrom award win, and played to sold-out houses throughout its Edinburgh run.
Date: 20 September 2022
A theatre-circus show developed by Rishi Trikha, Associate Professor and Course Leader for Theatre & Performance Practice and Theatre & Film at London Met, has won a prestigious Lustrum Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and seen a number of other impressive accolades.
The Chosen Haram, tells the story of two gay men and the barriers they must overcome. Told through a fusion of circus arts, theatre and dance, it proved a major success, receiving widespread four and five-star ratings from critics, and playing to sold-out houses throughout its Edinburgh run.
In a five star review, Fest magazine described the performance as ‘a gut-wrenching, heart-in-mouth work from start to finish, both in the sheer level of skill of the two performers and the stunning stagecraft, which conjures emotion from striking, economical storytelling’; while the Fringe Review called it ‘transfixing and mesmerising from start to finish. It is rare that one witnesses true originality and creative artistry of this level in the theatre.’ Additionally, both the Stage and Stagedoor recommended the show as a ‘must see’.
The piece was shown as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase, which is comprised of a small number of shows selected by the Scottish government as particularly innovative examples of theatre made in the country – only the second circus show ever to achieve this accolade – and featured on Sky TV and BBC Scotland.
Rishi said: “We feel so honoured and touched by the responses to our show. It has gone through a lengthy period of development, which included support from London Met and involved many of our theatre arts students, so to finally see it celebrated like this is hugely gratifying. The performing arts sector is still building back after the pandemic but our experience shows that audiences are eager to return to theatres and be challenged and entertained once again.”
The Chosen Haram will be touring internationally throughout 2023.
Photo by Glen McCarty
