The Father and the Assassin is a captivating piece of historical theatre – review
We heard really great things about last year’s production of The Father and the Assassin at the National Theatre, but unfortunately weren’t able to cover it when it played previously – so we were excited to see that it was returning to its former home.
This production reunites Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar with director Indhu Rubasingham, and stars Olivier-winner Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) as the assassin Nathuram Godse.
The story of Mahatma Gandhi (played in this show by Paul Bazely), the civil rights activist and leader of the successful campaign for Indian independence from British rule, is pretty well known – but we’re far less familiar with the story of his assassin.
This play shines a light on the life of Nathuram Godse, and his is a fascinating one – initially raised as a girl by his parents (who fear for his life, having lost their three previous sons), he is an extremely charming and likeable young adult.
