The Pickle King - Indian Ink Theatre Company
Written By
Jacob Rajan & Justin Lewis
Starring
Kalyani Nagarajan, Andrew Ford, Vanessa Kumar & Aryton Foote

The
Pickle King

Rip the lid off a jar of utterly delicious theatre, bursting with wit, wonder and the faint whiff of death.
 
Sasha, the blind receptionist of the crumbling Empire Hotel, knows she is cursed – everything she loves dies. But when true love finds her, she can’t help falling. One night, Death checks into the hotel.
 
Belly laughs combine with throat-catching pathos to create a sophisticated modern fable that is “an intelligent and hilarious celebration of human resilience” – The Scotsman
 
The Pickle King is Indian Ink’s most awarded play; winning an Edinburgh Fringe First, a record seven nominations at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards and the supreme accolade – Production of the Year.
 
For our twentieth anniversary we’ve made a significant change in this vintage Indian Ink script to centre the love story around a same sex couple. Whilst this contemporary update would have been a real statement 15 years ago – today it just reflects the diverse culture of New Zealand.
 
All wrapped up “in a package of good plain laughs, luminous performances and brilliant staging” (Dominion Post) this timeless tale highlights the injustices of immigration and globalisation, and having the courage to love, no matter your gender. 
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an intelligent and hilarious celebration of human resilience

The Scotsman

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in a package of good plain laughs, luminous performances and brilliant staging

Dominion Post

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The Pickle King remains both politically cutting edge and theatrically spectacular

Aimee Smith, Art Murmurs

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a bright beacon of excellence in our local theatre landscape

John Smythe, Theatreview

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This play features heart-breaking hilarity and uplifting sorrow in one breath

Madelaine Empso, Regional News

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Our Cast
And Crew

Headshot of Andrew Ford
Andrew Ford
Performer
Headshot of Vanessa Kumar
Vanessa Kumar
Performer
Ayrton's headshot, he is wearing a white T shirt and a pounamu necklace. He has a short haircut and some facial hair.
Ayrton Foote
Performer
Headshot of Conrad Webb
Conrad Wedde
Co-Composer
Headshot of Ben Wilcock
Ben Wilcock
Musical Director

ARTICLES
& REVIEWS

Actor Jacob Rajan wearing a nose mask and dressed as a bell boy holds a suitcase while facing directly up towards the camera

Pickle Has A Warmth And A Light Touch

Pickle, a play about the things that are worth preserving, is the third in a loose trilogy by inventive New Zealanders Indian Ink.

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Actor Jacob Rajan wearing a nose mask and dressed as a bell boy holds a suitcase while facing directly up towards the camera on the ceiling

Pickle King A Fine Slice Of Immigrant Life

The cast of The Pickle King at the Theatre Royal last night had to take several bows before the appreciative, capacity audience would let them go.

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An Actor in an oversized face mask with a circular nose looks intently at their hands

‘Pickle King’ Sure To Tickle And Make You Think

Certainly none of this would not work without Lewis’s experienced direction, which holds the diverse theatrical elements together so elegantly.

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