Darkling description
Titas Halder's epic, moving, fierce play Darkling explores a real-life ecological disaster.
Roll back time to 1984. The place is India, the town is Bhopal, and life is about to change forever. The Bhopal disaster was the world's worst industrial accident. Around 20,000 people died, maybe more. Thousands more were left with long-term health issues thanks to the toxic methyl isocyanate released into the air by a leak at the nearby pesticide plant owned by Union Carbide.
In Darkling, a little girl grows up in a peaceful place surrounded by beautiful lakes under a bright blue sky. She, her dad and her sister are inseparable. As she gets older her world changes. They're building a gigantic factory, and the girl senses new and exciting opportunities. Then, one horrific night, everything blows apart.
Billed as ferocious, brutal and damning, this story of lives blighted forever comes from the pen of the multi-award winning Titas Halder (Foal, Replica, Escape the Scaffold, Run the Beast Down), currently Associate Artistic Director at the Donmar Warehouse. It's directed by Matthew Xia (Tambo & Bones, Rice, Family Tree, The Wiz).
Simon Kenny is the show's Designer, Rajiv Pattani is the Lighting Designer and Beth Duke has designed the sound. Composer Niraj Chag, Movement Director Anjali Mehra, Casting Director Shaheen Baig and Associate Director Sara Aniqah Malik complete the creative team.
Buy Darkling tickets to enter a shameful point in history when thousands of people's lives were wrecked and families torn apart. A play to learn from.
Playing at Bush Theatre
Age restrictions
Ages 14+.