Eastern chemistry: Five Alchemy Festival highlights

Simon Broughton picks five of the best acts from the festival of music, dance, comedy and literature from the UK and South Asia at the Southbank Centre
Sitar queen: Anoushka Shankar (Picture: Andy Sheppard/Redferns via Getty)
Andy Sheppard/Redferns via Getty Images
Simon Broughton16 May 2014

Jaipur Literature Festival one-day residency

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Sun May 18

Co-directed by Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, this is now a huge event, with talks, readings, debates and music, attracting 250,000 over four days in Rajasthan. “We can’t wait to show London a little taster of the energy, colour and literary brilliance which has brought this about,” says Dalrymple. Topics include The Great Indian Metropolis, Sunset on Empire and Who Will Rule the World?

Soumik Datta

Queen Elizabeth Hall, Tue May 20

Don’t miss the Circle of Sound album launch by the UK’s most accomplished and adventurous sarod player. With percussionist Bernhard Schimpelsberger, he creates a compelling fusion of Indian and contemporary sounds. Plus guests sitarist Anoushka Shankar (whose solo performance is already sold out) and Nitin Sawhney.

Sukhwinder Singh

Festival Hall, Sat May 24

Best known for singing A R Rahman’s Oscar-winning song Jai Ho in Slumdog Millionaire, the Bollywood singer has voiced songs for actor Shahrukh Khan several times.

Comedy stars

Purcell Room, Sun May 24 & 25

Catch online sensation Humza Arshad, whose Diary of a Badman has had more than 50 million YouTube views (May 24) and Saad Haroon (May 25), whose Factory Life show recounts the trials and tribulations of a young Muslim boy in a conservative community on his quest to become one of Pakistan’s top comedians .

Online laughs: Humza Arshad

Roti Chai

The popular Indian street food restaurant is offering a pop-up outlet underneath Queen Elizabeth Hall. The special menu includes “street buns” of smoked tandoori chicken, smashed pea and potato samosa, and Keralan pulled pork. Cocktails include Kovalam Beach with lychee, guava, ginger ale and coconut with (or without) chai-infused vodka.

Roti Chai, 3 Portman Mews South, W1, rotichai.com

The Alchemy Festival is at the Southbank Centre, SE1 (0844 875 0073, southbankcentre.co.uk) until May 26.

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