ABOUT THE ARTIST:

(Please read the following in an epic movie trailer voice) 

In a world filled with South-Asians who listen to every demand their parents have, getting  successful jobs as either doctors, lawyers or engineers; three of them dream to become every  immigrant family’s worst nightmare and enter a turbulent industry built on luck, ultimately  compromising any chance of them securing arranged marriages…  

In all seriousness though: 

Standing upon the foundation BBC’s Goodness Gracious Me set and inspired by Russell  Peters’ timeless comedic material, Prashant Tailor conceives ‘The Indian Troll Factory’ – sometimes abbreviated to The I.T. Factory (Indians are good with computers) – with Gavin  Joseph, Kris Erice and Priyanka Patel. Working in a ‘sketch comedy’ capacity, Theatre Deli  and Dark Yellow Dot’s ‘Pandemic in the City’ callout marks their debut performing under  this new title.  

Previously collaborating on ‘Dirty Reflection’, written and directed by Prashant Tailor for The  Albany Deptford/Foreign Body Productions, the team always creates provocative art on  conditions that it mirrors their reality. Like Taylor Swift (wanting to get the most out of a  bad breakup), The Indian Troll Factory gives those who are on the same wavelength as them  a relief through the best medicine they know, laughter.  

ABOUT THE PIECE:

This time, the team takes a look at our year in lockdown, reviewing how much nonsense or  ‘Fake News’ slipped onto people’s screens. No one could have written 2020. That didn’t stop  people making some of it up. How many of you, reading this right now, have shared a story  after simply reading the headline? We currently live in a generation where our desires for  quick answers are overpowering thirsts to question a source’s validity. With many South Asian elders receiving a formal education from ‘The University of WhatsApp’, The Indian  Troll Factory interrogates responsibilities we have being publishers in this day and age via  social media.

CAST:

Anita Hanjaab - Priyanka Patel

Phil Accio/Methood Akhtar - Prashant Tailor

Ali Squared/Mike Litoris - Gavin Joseph

Moe Leicester - Kris Erice

 

CREATIVES: 

Prashant Tailor - Director/Writer

Gavin Joseph - Writer

Kris Erice - Audio Producer/Mixing & Mastering Engineer 

Megan Ryan - Illustrator/Art Design

 

“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes” - Mark Twain. 

Nobody actually knows whether Mark Twain expressed what’s written above. Isn’t that ironic? The quote itself could belong to someone else, making what you’ve read a complete lie. 

‘FAKE News at Ten’ serves not only to parody events that lockdown generated (e.g. celebrity culture dying in favour of championing NHS front-line workers, government conferences taking prime time television slots as productions of new shows halted and dodgy internet connections creating interview bloopers) but initiate a much-needed conversation with our listeners on who facilitates ‘Fake News’. Individuals have previously pointed fingers at Facebook, asking for more regulation, however aren’t we worth blaming too? In this day and age, we’re all publishers, we have a responsibility with content posted on our respective pages. 

Production photography by Tasha Best.