Tartuffe Access Pack

TARTUFFE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tartuffe is a comedy adapted by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto. They are also the writers of The Office, Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42, and Citizen Khan.

The production is directed by Iqbal Khan (Rep Associate Director) who was the 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony Director.

The play is a new comedy based on the original play of the same title written by Molière in 1664.

The new play is set in Birmingham's Stratford Road and follows the life of a British-Asian Muslim man named Tartuffe who tricks the Pervaiz family by pretending to be holy and religious.

There is some swearing during the play.

OUR SPACE

Our new front door is located on Centenary Square, shown here:

Our Box Office (left) and Foyer (right) are shown here:

A Chill Out Space is available during the Relaxed Performance in Suite One on the first floor. It has sensory lights and toys. A Quiet Room is available during all performances on the second floor. Please ask a member of staff if you would like to use these spaces.

More information about accessibility at The Rep is available here.

SONIC STORY

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

The play is set in the Pervaiz family home in Stratford Road, Birmingham. They are a Pakistani Muslim family.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Their cleaner Darina has a pretend rock concert with loud music as she is cleaning the house. Multiple actors run around dancing on stage. She stops to tell us about herself and the family.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Dadimaa Pervaiz (the grandmother) enters, complaining she wants to leave the house. She is unhappy with her son Imran Pervaiz’s new wife Amira Pervaiz.

She complains about her family but praises Tartuffe for being such a great and holy Muslim man. Damee Pervaiz (Imran’s son) disagrees that Tartuffe is a holy man.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Khalil, Imran’s friend and accountant, talks with Darina who is concerned about Dadimaa and Imran’s unusual obsession with Tartuffe. Imran trusts Tartuffe with lots of personal things and Khalil is suspicious that Tartuffe is stealing Imran’s money.

Damee asks Khalil to convince his dad to allow his sister Mariam Pervaiz to marry her boyfriend Waqaas because he believes Tartuffe is against the marriage.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Imran comes home and asks Darina lots of questions about Tartuffe. Khalil tells him the concerns about Tartuffe but Imran defends him and says Tartuffe has given meaning to his life and helped him become a better Muslim.

We learn that he met Tartuffe recently at the local mosque and asked him to move in with the family. Khalil tells him about the money he thinks Tartuffe is taking but Imran does not believe him.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Imran goes to see his daughter Mariam and brings her flowers. He asks her what she thinks about Tartuffe and wants her to marry him. She disagrees because she loves Waqaas and wants to marry him instead. He is upset with her for not wanting to follow his plans.

Darina pops out from behind the curtain and doesn’t want Mariam to marry Tartuffe. Mariam begs her for help to stop the marriage to Tartuffe.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Waqaas comes and is upset that people in the mosque are saying that Mariam is marrying Tartuffe.

He and Mariam have a small argument as they are both upset but they make up and are happy again. They devise a plan with Darina to delay the marriage to Tartuffe by making up lots of excuses.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Damee vents to Darina about how Tartuffe is deceiving Imran and he wants to confront him. She tells him to hide so that Amira can speak to Tartuffe privately to call off the wedding.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Tartuffe and his follower Usman make a grand entrance to loud music. Darina tells him Amira wants to speak with him and he is happy because he has a secret crush on her.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Whilst Tartuffe and Amira speak, he wants Usman to leave so he can be alone with her but Damee is still hiding and can hear everything. She tells Tartuffe that she doesn’t want him to marry Mariam because it is a bad idea. He compliments Amira and flirts with her. She tells him it is wrong and he blames her for tempting him. He grabs Amira’s breast and she is very shocked. He tells her not to tell anyone but she only agrees if he promises not to marry Mariam.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 1

Damee jumps out from hiding and is very angry at Tartuffe for touching Amira. He tells Imran once he comes but he doesn’t believe him and Tartuffe gets away with it by pretending to be holy.

Imran shouts at Damee and disowns him telling him to never come back home. Tartuffe threatens to leave too because he is scared the truth will be found out, Imran begs him to stay and he agrees. Imran asks him to take full control over the family house and business.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

INTERVAL

There will now be a 20 minute interval.

You can:

Leave your seats to use the bathroom Buy some refreshments from the Café Bar

Use our breakout room Stay in your seats if you would prefer.

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

Darina enters from the auditorium, hoovering between the seats and interacting with audience members. She updates us on how the family is doing and tells us Imran went on a business trip.

Tartuffe is now more confident running the house. Khalil asks Tartuffe to let Damee come back home and forgive him. He says Allah doesn’t want him to forgive Damee because he will have to leave if Damee comes back.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

Imran returns from his trip and shows Mariam her and Tartuffe’s wedding invite. He has wedding documents ready for her to sign to finalise the marriage to Tartuffe. She begs him not to do this.

Amira tells Imran not to let the marriage go ahead because of what Tartuffe did to her but he still doesn’t believe her. She wants to prove it to him and tells Imran to hide in the sofa whilst she talks to Tartuffe.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

Tartuffe comes to speak with Amira she pretends to seduce him to prove he is a fake Holy man. She says she will be with him only if he breaks up the marriage with Mariam.

Tartuffe falls for her trick and takes off his trousers to prove that she really wants to be with him. Imran comes from hiding in the sofa and is shocked. He can finally see Tartuffe for the real con man that he is.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

Imran confronts Tartuffe and tells him to leave, but Tartuffe reminds him that he now owns the family home and business, so he will not leave.

Tartuffe demands that the Pervaiz family must leave the house instead.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

Imran is worried because Tartuffe also knows where his father’s fake British passport is. This means he and his family could be deported by the police, as they are illegal immigrants.

Imran apologises to Mariam for wanting her to marry Tartuffe. Damee comes home and Imran apologises to him, they hug as he welcomes him back into the family.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

Tartuffe and Usman return to give the family an eviction notice. The police come to talk to Imran and notice that Usman is a fellow detective who is undercover pretending to be Tartuffe’s follower.

Usman reveals his true identity and arrests Tartuffe for his behaviour. Tartuffe is angry and scared so he confesses that it was all an act and he is not a real holy Muslim. He insults the family in anger as the police take him away.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

VISUAL STORY ACT 2

The family are happy now that Tartuffe is gone and their immigration secret is safe. We find out the police have only come to ask Imran about booking a venue for the Police Ball. They are all happy now that Mariam can marry Waqaas. They rap for the end credits and Darina speaks to the audience telling them the moral of the story is to be nice to your cleaner.

Photo Credit: Geraint Lewis

THANK YOU!

We hope you enjoy the show and have a great time at this Relaxed Performance.

Please email any feedback to us at: access@birmingham-rep.co.uk.

You can find out about our upcoming Relaxed Performances here.