"The future is looking bright.”
Tara Theatre has announced the three playwrights selected for its NOVA 2027 programme, an initiative supporting emerging South Asian voices and championing new writing for the stage.
After an extensive shortlisting process, Carina Chatlani, Jaspreet Kaur and Usaamah Hussain were selected to develop their original scripts through the programme.
Each writer will receive a £1,500 commission, alongside mentoring and dramaturgical support, with the initiative culminating in a final performance of their work at Tara Theatre.
The three playwrights were selected for their original approaches to storytelling.
The NOVA programme encourages writers to explore futurism and imagine new possibilities for South Asian narratives.
Carina Chatlani
Carina Chatlani is a writer raised in Shanghai and Hong Kong who is now based in London.
Her artistic practice centres on questioning and understanding culture beyond borders, drawing on experiences that explore identity, heritage and the connections between generations.
Her play Saree Stories, presented at Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2025, reflected on the legacy of sarees across generations and geographical boundaries.
Chatlani has also received a seed commission from Kiln Theatre to develop her play The Cantonese Club, as well as a commission from Gate Theatre for a short play titled Instant Noodles.
Jaspreet Kaur
Jaspreet Kaur is an award-winning author, poet, performer and lecturer based in London.
Her work is shaped by the South Asian British experience, alongside an interest in what is inherited through family, culture and previous generations.
She is best known for her book Brown Girl Like Me and brings poetry and performance together to explore intimate personal stories that often lead to wider questions about power, belonging and social change.
Usaamah Hussain
Usaamah Hussain is an actor and writer from Nottingham who graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 2023.
Since graduating, he has worked across television and theatre.
His writing explores the importance of creating spaces for people who are not usually given the opportunity to see themselves represented.
He is also interested in using writing as a tool to examine and untangle complex personal experiences.
Tara Theatre Associate Director Gavin Joseph said: “This year we wanted to lean into the future and invite writers to place themselves in new realities.
“The community came through and we received a wealth of captivating pitches all centred around futurism.”
“We wanted you to think big and bold and expand the South Asian canon in new ways, and you did so with relish.
“We’ve got three commissions that we are super excited about and that place South Asian storytelling in a new and exciting frontier. The future is looking bright.”
The NOVA showcases will take place in spring 2027, forming part of Tara Theatre’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
