Building on the phenomenal success of the smash hit musical Frankie Goes to Bollywood (2024), this multi-year partnership will spark bold new productions, fuel artistic innovation, and forge deep community connections across Coventry and the West Midlands.

Pravesh Kumar MBE, Artistic Director of Rifco Theatre Company, said:

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Belgrade Theatre in such a transformative and meaningful way. Coventry’s South Asian communities are rich with untold stories, authentic voices, and bold creative potential. This partnership gives us a powerful platform to nurture talent, reach wider audiences, and create ambitious theatre – including new musicals – that truly reflects the spirit, diversity and dynamism of modern Britain."

Corey Campbell, Artistic Director, and Laura Elliot, Chief Executive of the Belgrade Theatre, said:

“We’re proud to enter into this long-term partnership with Rifco, one of the UK’s most important British South Asian theatre companies. This work is about more than programming – it’s about a shared vision, a commitment to representation, and placing Coventry at the heart of a national conversation about identity, creativity and community"

This partnership will drive progress across four key areas: artistic development, audience growth, workforce development, and civic impact.

The partnership will include:

• Annual main stage productions that reflect and celebrate British South Asian life
• A Rifco Associates programme nurturing emerging artists through mentoring, placements and showcases
• Year-round engagement with Coventry’s South Asian communities through workshops, readings and cultural celebrations
• New commissions and the revival of iconic Rifco productions
  Shared infrastructure and resources to raise ambition, quality and efficiency
  
  

Rifco will bring its award-winning expertise in culturally resonant storytelling, audience development, and grassroots connection. The Belgrade, in turn, will offer its civic reach, creative space and production firepower. Together, the two companies aim to grow audiences, uplift unheard voices, and position Coventry as a national hub for British South Asian theatre-making.

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