Following a sold out tour in 2017, Sukh Ojla’s comedy drama Pyar Actually (Love Actually), returns to the main stage at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

The play, running from May 15 to May 19, follows thirty-something Polly whose picture perfect life is interrupted when her first love Bali gets in touch 20-years-later.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Polly has a reliable husband, two bright children, a well-paid job at the council and detached house with a double garage. She’s got it all. She may not be living the life she dreamed of back when she was a teenager, but who does?

Bali is a successful businessman. Loving his jet set lifestyle he swore he’d never return to the small town he grew up in. So why is he back? Is it too late for second chances? And is love, actually, all you need?

Sukh developed the play, which explores themes of duty, love and missed opportunities, through a series of community workshops, readings and peer-to-peer mentorship as part of the Rifco Associates programme.

East London and West Essex Guardian Series:

Sukh Ojla is a writer, actress and stand-up comedian. Pyar Actually is her first full-length play.

She won Monologue Slam with her self-penned monologue Settling, has written and performed stand-up comedy for the Alchemy Festival, won the Make The Cut competition at the St James Theatre and performed at BBC Asian Network’s Big Comedy Night. 

Rifco Associates is a two-year rolling programme for artists and creatives both early in their career and mid-career, supporting them to create a new piece of work or develop a new concept.

This structured programme is about opening up access to a wider range of people working in theatre and celebrating the voices of British Asian contemporary artists both on the stage and behind the scenes.

Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN, Tuesday May 15 until Saturday May 19, 2018, evenings 7.30pm, Saturday 4pm & 7.30pm. Details: 0208 534 0310