Sheffield Theatres' is proud to announce the revival of Handful of Henna.

This vibrant and colourful production will be playing at a host of schools in Sheffield as well as Vestry Hall and the Crucible's Studio Theatre.

Following this the production will embark on a rural tour to school halls and village centres across the North of England.

Handful of Henna is a celebration of the poignant and often comic memories one family uncover when exploring their cultural heritage. It explores the universal themes of family and upbringing that transcend all cultures and what happens when traditions clash.

Saheeda hasn't seen her homeland since she came to England as a young bride. Now she is returning for a family wedding with her young daughter Nasreen, who is less than pleased at being dragged away from her comfortable Western life.

Travelling to the family home, Saheeda and her relatives find themselves exploring their secret garden' of childhood memories. But will the journey into the past help them to embrace their future?

The play, by award-nominated actress and writer Rani Moorthy, (Artistic Director of Rasa; director of Curry Tales ,Lyric Hammersmith and nationwide tour; writer for Doctors BBC1) is based upon personal stories collected through Sheffield Theatres' outreach work with parents and pupils of Somalian, Yemenese, Saudi Arabian and Pakistani heritage.

From school to stage, the piece has organically grown into a vivid piece of contemporary theatre that provides an enlightening look at lives that span two cultures.

Having already opened the Sheffield Children's Festival at the Crucible Theatre to great acclaim, this northern tour will take the play right into the centre of local communities, sharing the lives of one community in the heart of another.

Included in this tour is the free performance at Vestry Hall, supported by Burngreave New Deal for Communities, a government funded organisation that is helping to regenerate the Burngreave area.

Moorthy uses the symbolic nature of Henna to bring together the stories of Sheffield women from a variety of eastern cultures.

She said: "I hit upon henna being an important image in the play through one of the stories from a woman in Tinsley and felt that it linked all of these cultures."

The company welcomes back two of the actors from the play's original cast: Goldy Notay (Lata in The Deranged Marriage, Riverside Studios; Holby City BBC1) will play Saheeda, while the role of Alia will be performed by Krupa Pattani (Face of Hampshire,Theatre Royal Winchester; Casualty, BBC1).

They will be joined by Ambur Khan as Nasreen (Romeo & Juliet,Chequers Mead Theatre; Grange Hill BBC1). Also joining the company as Aunty Munah is Preeti Saul. Handful of Henna will be Saul's first professional acting job as part of Sheffield Theatres' commitment to nurturing new talent.

Director, Karen Simpson, has seen the play evolve from its origins within Sheffield's ethnic communities.

As Director of the Creative Development Programme at Sheffield Theatres, Karen has worked for the last six years bringing the work of the theatre to the local area.

The play's music has been written by acclaimed classical Indian composer Kamalbir Singh. Singh has performed in India, UK, Europe and USA and was a musician for the film Bride and Prejudice and the West End production of The Far Pavillions. He also won the gold medal for Standing First throughout India in the All India Radio Music Competition.

Despite this, Sheffield based Singh is probably best known in Sheffield for running a local post office in the centre of Burngreave, opposite Vestry Hall where the show will play 5 February.

The play will tour with a versatile and interactive set by designer Rachana Jadhav, whose previous work includes The Maids (Lyric Hammersmith, London) and Miss Julie (Croydon Warehouse).

Details: Evening performance, Studio Theatre 18 February: Mon 7.30pm; Afternoon performance, Studio Theatre 19 February: Tue 1.30pm.

Tickets: £5-£9 (discounts may apply, subject to availability).

ox Office: 0114 249 6000.

During its rural tour Handful of Henna will travel through Cheshire, Cumbria, East Riding and Lancashire.

1:52pm Saturday 16th February 2008

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