Turning Point: Southall Uprising

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Turning Point

Drama

Ten dramas illuminating historical turning points

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Southall Uprising

BBC Radio 4 - Turning Point, Southall Uprising

Satinder Chohan's powerful drama about the people of Southall standing up to racism.

When the National Front decide to hold a rally in Southall, the local community rise up in protest. The violence that followed changed everything.

Set in immigrant, working class Southall, West London during the highly charged racially divided climate of a late 1970s Britain, on the cusp of Thatcherism. 1976, the racist murder of teenager Gurdip Singh Chaggar led to escalating tensions between Black/Asian locals and the far right. On St. George’s Day, April 23rd 1979, Tory-run Ealing Council and the Labour government permit a National Front pre-election rally at the town hall, in the heart of Southall. In an act of determined resistance, the community peacefully sits down to stand up to racism, against ensuing police brutality that ultimately leads to the death of protesting New Zealand teacher Blair Peach.
 
2024 marks the 45th anniversary of the Southall Uprising, a turning point in the birth of an Asian/Black Britain. St. George’s Day 1979 is remembered for when this small, hard-working immigrant community fought back against the far-right and its calls for immigrant repatriation, forced to collectively defend and assert its right to live, work and exist in a new, emerging multicultural Britain.

Satinder Chohan's drama is based on the true events and testimonies of people who attended the protest in 1979 and was recorded on location in Southall.

RAMI….Gavi Singh Chera
KIYANA……….Grace Saif
BHUPI……Zainab Hasan
ASIM……Gurjeet Singh
DAD/ SHERA/  UNCLE MONU……Ameet Chana
MUM/ AUNTY……Manjinder Virk
POLICE OFFICER/PROTESTOR....John Lightbody
POLICE OFFICER/PROTESTOR.....Tyler Cameron
PROTESTORS......members of the Punjabi Theatre Academy Tajinder Pal Singh, Balvinder Kumar, Balwinder Jhim. Nahar Singh Gill and students from Praxis Performing Arts at Uxbridge College: Alannah Dolphin,  Keira Doyle, Chiana Elliott, Rico Joseph, Jevounghn Gregg Fuller. Tay Furzer-Pickett, Ronan Kubilius. Peelo Mookodi, Quinn (Rebecca) Puse, Max Mcdermott, Jason O’Connor,  Sienna O' Connor, Lilly Poore, Michael Stone, Hannah Williams, Natalie Young.

Production Co-ordinator: Lorna Newman
Technical Production, Location Recording and Sound Design: Sharon Hughes
Writer: Satinder Chohan
Director and Producer: Nadia Molinari
BBC Audio Drama North Production

Thanks to Janpal Basran and Southall Community Alliance; Robert Lane; Tajinder Pal Singh; Saravanaa Bhavan Southall.
Special thanks to all those who contributed their stories and experiences.

Guidance : the drama contains discriminatory language that may offend.

An EcoAudio certified production

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