New UK play features actress of South Asian descent in the lead
SH Productions is delighted to announce the cast for the first ever tour of Danusia Samal’s acclaimed garage/R&B gig theatre show Bangers. The new cast members are Chaya Gupta (whose credits include ETT’s Abigails Party) as Aria, and Kaine Lawrence (Olivier Award-nominated for his performance in For Black Boys…) as Clef. They join Duramaney Kamara (who also composed the original music and sound designs the production) returning to the role of DJ.
An exhilarating night of original music, lyrical storytelling, and pure UK garage vibes, Bangers explores how the bangers we grew up listening to shape who we are today. Featuring original tracks inspired by early noughties and present-day R&B and garage, Bangers follows the highs and lows of two strangers struggling with their own pasts, while hurtling towards the future.
Danusia Samal, playwright, says: “I am so thrilled to see the brilliant Chaya and Kaine join Duramaney in Bangers. Having started out touring around hostels in 2022, it’s crazy to think how far Bangers has come, and how it has had a run every year since, with new cast members every time bringing fresh ideas, interpretations and flavours to the characters and the show. The tour will be my first time not performing as Aria, and I’m so delighted to see what Chaya will do with the character. Aria has been a gift to write and perform and now it's time to pass the mantle.”
Chaya is an actor and musician. She started learning drums at a very young age and enjoyed how it is an instrument that is so intrinsically communal, and spent most of her spare time in her youth playing with friends and other musicians in various bands and orchestras. She was fascinated by how rhythm can be split and embodied simultaneously, which is something she takes forward in her approach to text, speech and character as her acting career has progressed.
Following an undergraduate degree in Music (specialising in sound design) she completed an MFA in Professional Acting at LAMDA 2021-2023. Since graduating, her professional credits include Hansel and Gretel (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Government Inspector (Marylebone Theatre), and most recently, Abigail’s Party (English Touring Theatre).