'Smile': a play about Indian soldiers at the Brighton Pavilion Hospital during the First World War

Summary: Three Indian soldiers recover at the iconic Brighton Pavilion hospital. Every detail is provided for but something isn't quite right. The soldiers question why the plentiful food and high quality care is served in the shadow of guards and bars across windows. Will they be honoured as heroes as the British had led them to believe, or are they merely prisoners being readied again for war? This podcast is one of five short plays produced in response to documents held at The National Archives relating to the experiences of people from South Asia at the time of the First World War. The series was created by five playwrights from the Tamasha Developing Artists (TDA) programme and funded by the Friends of The National Archives. Written by: Melanie Pennant Directed by: Anthony Simpson-Pike Performed by: Peter Singh, Naveed Khan, Jag Sanghera and Jim Conway Recorded, edited and sound designed by: Robbie MacInnes Photo credits: Bettina Adela With thanks to Iqbal Husain and Sara Griffiths at The National Archives, and Fin Kennedy and Mina Maisuria at Tamasha Theatre.