Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink to visit Theatre Royal Bath in first major revival for thirty years, starring Felicity Kendal

Bath favourite Felicity Kendal returns to the Theatre Royal in the first major revival for thirty years of one of Tom Stoppard's most nostalgic plays, Indian Ink.

Image: Ruby Ashbourne-Serkis and Gavi Singh Chera in Indian Ink at Theatre Royal Bath 

Following a run at Hampstead Theatre, the show appears from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 February and this production marks the first major revival since 1995, when Felicity Kendal created the role of Flora Crewe. She now returns to play Mrs Swan in director Jonathan Kent’s new production, his first collaboration with Tom Stoppard.

1930s India. Flora Crewe, a noted Bloomsbury Group poet, undertakes a journey through India for her health. Free-spirited and without social inhibitions she unsettles most people she meets, but secretly captivates Nirad Das, a handsome Indian painter. 

1980s England. Flora’s sister, Mrs Swan, is visited by an American biographer trying to uncover exactly what took place on the trip – and then Das’ son appears in her garden with a painting of Flora by his father – a nude…

Satirising the self-importance of both academia and the ruling class, Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink is an evocative meditation on art and love, exploring how creativity can bridge even the most profound cultural barriers.

Image: Aaron Gill and Felicity Kendal in Indian Ink at Theatre Royal Bath 

Felicity Kendal (Rosemary and Thyme, The Good Life) will play the role of Mrs Swan. The cast also includes Ruby Ashbourne Serkis (Grace Pervades, Theatre Royal Bath; Shardlake; I, Jack Wright) as Flora Crewe, Gavi Singh Chera (Behind the Beautiful Forevers, National Theatre; Lord of the Rings; Blitz) as Nirad Das, Sagar Arya (The Father and the Assassin, National Theatre ) as Coomaraswami, Mark Carlisle (Once, Phoenix Theatre) as Resident, Neil D’Souza (Out of Season, Hampstead Theatre) as Dilip, Tom Durant-Pritchard (The Tempest, Shakespeare’s Globe ) as David Durance, Aaron Gill (East is South, Hampstead Theatre) as Anish Das, Irvine Iqbal (The Father and The Assassin, National Theatre) as Rajah / Politician, Evan Milton (Edward II, RSC ) as Englishman / Eric, Bethany Muir (Water Under The Bridge, Soho Theatre ) as Englishwoman / Nell, Donald Sage Mackay (Girl From The North Country, West End) as Eldon Pike and Sushant Shekhar (Sophia, Mercury Theatre) as Nazrul.

Joining director Jonathan Kent in the creative team is set designer Leslie Travers, costume designer Nicky Shaw, lighting designer Peter Mumford, sound designer Christopher Shutt and composer Kuljit Bhamra.

Felicity Kendal's theatre work includes Anything Goes (Barbican); Noises Off (Theatre Royal, Bath/Phoenix); Lettice & Lovage (Menier Chocolate Factory); The Argument and A Room with a View (both Theatre Royal, Bath); Hay Fever (Theatre Royal, Bath/The Duke of York’s); Chin Chin (UK tour);

Relatively Speaking (Wyndham's/Theatre Royal, Bath); The Last Cigarette and Mrs Warren's Profession (both Comedy); The Vortex (Apollo); Amy's View (Garrick); Fallen Angels (Apollo);

Alarms and Excursions (Gielgud); Waste and The Seagull (both Old Vic); An Absolute Turkey (Globe); Indian Ink (Aldwych); Mind Mille for Me and Heartbreak House (both Haymarket);

Hapgood (Aldwych); Much Ado About Nothing and Ivanov (both Strand); Hidden Laughter (Vaudeville); Tartuffe (Playhouse); The Real Thing (Strand); Made in Bangkok and Jumpers (both Aldwych); Arcadia; The Second Mrs Tanqueray; On the Razzle; Othello and Amadeus (all

National Theatre); Clouds (Duke of York’s); The Norman Conquests and Kean (both Globe);

Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (both Regent’s Park); Back to Methuselah (National Theatre); The Promise and Henry V (both Phoenix) and Minor Murders (Strand).

Film work includes The Secret Show; Anything Goes (filmed musical) and Parting Shots.

Television work includes Pennyworth; Inside No.9; Dr Who; Rosemary & Thyme (series regular); The Camomile Lawn; The Mistress; Honey for Tea; On the Razzle; Solo; Twelfth Night; Wings of Song and The Good Life (series regular).

Felicity Kendal’s many appearances at the Theatre Royal Bath include most recently: Mrs Warren’s Profession (2009), Relatively Speaking (2012, 2013), Hay Fever (2014), A Room With a View (2016), Noises Off (2022, Theatre Royal Bath and UK Tour prior to West End) and the title role in Filumena (2024).

Indian Ink appears at the Theatre Royal Bath from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 February. To book tickets visit the Theatre Royal Bath website at theatreroyal.org.uk or contact the Box Office on 01225 448844.