Review: Sophia
Eastern Angles are known for their East Anglian inspired stories and the latest touring production from the company features an Indian Princess who lived in East Anglia.
Sophia tells the true story of Sophia Duleep Singh, her father was Maharaja Sir Duleep Singh who came to live in exile with his family after he lost his Sikh empire to the British Raj.
The family, including Sophia, sisters Bamba and Catherine and brother Freddie lived at Elveden Hall in Suffok and all feature in writer Hannah Kumari’s telling of their story.
It is the story of the family and how they ended up in England, but more than that it’s the story of Sophia, an amazing woman, who went on to become a suffragette and revolutionary and an inspiration not only in her own time but now as well.
Natasha Patel is brilliant as Sophia while her two siblings and other characters are played by Moshana Khan (as Bamba), Sushant Shekhar (Freddie) and Harriet Sharmini Smithers (Catherine).
The story includes some sensitive topics, including racial prejudice, but it was Sophia’s determination that brought her through to become a trail blazer not only as a woman but a woman of colour. A constant thorn in the side of authority she fights for purpose and identity, it is a story that will leave you thinking “Wow, Sophia was probably one of the inventors of girl power!”
Touring East Anglia until Saturday 3rd May, 2025 – see www.easternangles.co.uk for dates and venues.
Review: Mark Keable, Ipswich24 Magazine