Princess, Suffragette, Sister – the life of a British-Indian woman is revived from the forgotten archives by Eastern Angles Theatre Company.
It is an important part of the history of Suffolk which I am sure most of us have no idea about and I am delighted to have been educated on this amazing woman.
Sophia was the daughter of the last Maharajah of Punjab, who was dethroned by the British and was exiled to England where the family made a home in Elveden, Suffolk. The Maharajah made a new, secret life in Europe while his children stayed in Suffolk being ‘looked after’ by the British Government. Which meant that Sophia and her siblings were constantly monitored, advised, restricted and reliant on the Government.
Sophia, who was also the goddaughter of Queen Victoria, lived an unfulfilled life until she went, with her sister on a journey to India in order to learn about her heritage and culture. This trip was lifechanging for the Princess and she returned to England as a woman filled with passion, bravery and determination to make changes as she joins the women’s suffrage movement and uses her status for a louder voice.
Sophia remained an active member of several Women’s Rights causes and during World War I she volunteered as a nurse for the British Red Cross tending wounded Indian soldiers.
The story of this woman is remarkable, wonderful and touching as we discover the life she led, using her status for good yet not letting it get in the way of being humble.
Telling an important part of history in an engaging way can be difficult, the audience hasn’t come to the theatre for an historical (boring) lecture, however this production really managed to bring Sophia and the characters in her life, to a watchable, delightful play. The format didn’t follow a straight timeline, it would switch into the past as Sophia was reminiscing with her late brother, or reading letters and it did so cleverly. Not once were we confused as to where we were in the story.
The flow of the play was steady, yet dynamic as they were able to inject movement at appropriate points, whether it was moving furniture for set changes, or being on the train, or depicting letters being sent across a distance, it kept it engaging.
To add to the overall impact of the story were of course the actors – they were splendid. There was an innate pride of how these four actors portrayed all the characters. They were charming and captivating. This is a recommended performance.
Cast
Sophia – Natasha Patel
Bamba – Moshana Khan
Freddie – Sushant Shekhar
Catherine – Harriet Sharmini Smithers
Sophia is currently on tour in the Eastern Region and all the dates can be seen here:
YouTube Review can be found here.