LIVE LIVE LIVE Confessions of a Cockney Temple Dancer,

Shane performs his life experience of growing up in London using Indian dance with a twist of stand-up comedy.

Shane shares his life experience of growing up in London, speaking two languages and living within the cultural mix of East Ham. His story is familiar to all those who have moved cities, migrated from other countries and struggled to create the cultural world of their dreams and lived experience.

‘Shane is a highly skilled performer and theatre maker… the piece is funny, moving and deserves to be seen widely.’ Complicite

Creative visionary, director, choreographer and creative collaborator Shane Shambhu tells a unique story of language, cultures and chasing your dreams

★★★★★

“A great Storyteller, a mercurial trickster with an exuberant love of like and dance” The British theatre Guide

The show, part monologue, part dance recital, starts with a mint offering to the audience and through this humble act of hospitality, Shane invites the audience into his world.  His dynamic bharatanatyam dance sequences create an instantaneous connection between audience and dancer, inspired by the beautiful music of Surinder Sandhu. His East Ham landscape haunts the video projection devised by Martin Dewar to provide glimpses of people and places defying specific location or country. His playful switch of characters, now female compere, now student, now grandfather, now guru, carries the audience with the performer, which is both comic and moving.

We are lucky to have an added extra event from Shane at SpArC

The Cockney Curry House

Shane Shambhu introduces his latest character creation, master of South Indian cuisine:

Chef Thiruvanathapurathilhariramachandrakrishnaprasadasundaram

Chef T will be sharing his immense knowledge of Indian spices, the culinary delights of Southern Indian cuisine and why South Indian names are sooooo unbelievably long!

Through physicality and mime he demonstrates the unique processes of preparing and cooking South-Indian dishes along with his trusty Sous Chef, Dave from Bethnal Green. 

Dave will share with you all the names of the different and exotic types of Indian vegetable that you can now buy from your local supermarket like… erm…Coconuts?!

Together Shane, Dave and our distinguished Chef, share stories of food and culture and finally blend together to create their special ‘Cockney Curry’ dishes that you might or, very possibly, might not want a little taste of. 

Shane is a compelling performer who elaborates the journey of a ‘hero’ who receives a classical dance training then struggles through life challenges to refashion that training into a movement vocabulary fit for contemporary living.

Shane Shambhu is a director, award-winning choreographer and creative collaborator and his creative visioning brings fresh, alternative perspectives to the creation and presentation of productions.  Shane is driven by a passion to shift perceptions of race, language and identities along with the Indian Performing Arts.

This is going to be a fun night!