The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore was inspired directly by Alice in Wonderland and Western opera when he wrote the dance opera Tasher Desh – a satirical portrayal of a society ruled by strict conventions.

In the story, a Prince, tired of suffocating in his palace, goes in search of adventure. Accompanied by a merchant, the mismatched pair get shipwrecked in the Land of Cards.

Here the inhabitants are playing cards, divided by their suits and unable to mix. With the wild force of his personality, the Prince starts to effect change in the Cards and gradually their human qualities begin to emerge…

A cast of ten perform in this heady mix of dance, drums, traditional Bengali music, infectious rhythm and high energy. This cross-cultural collaboration features emerging talent, Cid Shaha, as The Prince, and Ash Mukherjee, from Calcutta as the merchant.

Land of Cards is directed by Hi Ching, a multidisciplinary artist who trained at the Royal Ballet School, and this opera is being performed professionally for the first time in the UK.

Listings information
Performed in English with songs in Bengali
by Rabrindanath Tagore
Directed by Hi Ching
Music: Dr Ananda Gupta
Tues 15 (Preview Limited availability, other tickets £10) – Sun 20 April @7.45pm
Ticket: Wed – Thur £10/£8 Fri – Sun £15/£12
Box Office: 020 8232 1010 (Noon – 9pm)
www.watermans.org.uk