Lolita Chakrabarti OBE is an award-winning playwright and actress. She trained at RADA and has been working as an actor on stage and screen for over thirty years.
Her debut play Red Velvet opened at the Tricycle Theatre before transferring to New York and then London’s West End. It earned her the Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright 2012; The Critics’ Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright 2013; AWA for Arts and Culture 2013 and an Olivier Award nomination for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre 2012. Red Velvet is now on the Drama syllabus for A level and is studied at universities in the UK and USA. Red Velvet has had over forty productions worldwide to date.
Chakrabarti’s adaptation of Life of Pi, based on Yann Martel’s novel, premiered at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield in 2019. Following critical acclaim, the production transferred to the Wyndham’s Theatre in November 2021. Chakrabarti was awarded the Olivier Award for Best New Play, and numerous other accolades including a WhatsOnStage Award, UK Theatre Award and CAMEO Award. Life of Pi opened at ART in Boston in December 2022 and then on Broadway in March 2023. The production has garnered countless nominations in the US including 5 Tony nominations.
Her credits include:
Theatre:
HAMNET (Royal Shakespeare Company) – 2023
Swan Theatre, Stratford Upon Avon; transferred to the Garrick Theatre, London October 2023
LIFE OF PI (Simon Friend Entertainment) – 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
Adapted from the novel by Yann Martel
Crucible Theatre, Sheffield; Wyndham’s Theatre, London
Winner of Five Olivier Awards including Best New Play
Winner of Four UK Theatre Awards including Best New Play, WhatsOnStage Award for Best New Play, CAMEO Award for Book to Stage
ART, Boston; Schoenfeld Theatre, New York
A UK national tour to start in September 2023
HYMN – 2021, 2022
The Almeida Theatre, London;
First live- streamed from The Almeida Theatre during the pandemic, London on 17th
February 2021. Returning to play live in August that same year. There have been several productions in the US including Shakespeare and Company, Lenox, Massachusetts
INVISIBLE CITIES – 2019
Adapted from the novel by Italo Calvino
World premiere at Mayfields, Manchester International Festival and Brisbane Festival 2019. A collaboration with digital projectionist 59Productions, choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and twenty-two dancers from Rambert.
STONES OF VENICE – 2020
Hong Kong New Vision Festival. A VR short interactive film of Invisible Cities.
Dramaturg on MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE (director Kate Prince for Sadlers Wells)
Dramaturg on SYLVIA (director/writer Kate Prince for The Old Vic)
THE GREATEST WEALTH – 2018
Old Vic Theatre, London
Curated by Lolita. A series of 8 monologues celebrating the NHS’ 70th birthday
including SPEEDY GONZALEZ by Lolita Chakrabarti
RED VELVET – 2012, 2014, 2016
Tricycle Theatre, London; St Anne’s Warehouse, New York; Branagh Company at the Garrick Theatre
Charles Wintour Evening Standard Award 2012 for Most Promising Playwright
Critics Circle Award 2012 for Most Promising Playwright
AWA Award 2013 for Arts and Culture
Nominated for WhatsOnStage Awards 2013 for London Newcomer of the Year & Best
New Play, Nominated for an Olivier Award 2013 for Best Play in an Affiliate Theatre
LAST SEEN – 2009
Simon Burt, Lolita Chakrabarti and Matthew David Scott
Slung Low
Almeida Theatre, London
Radio:
PUT MY NAME IN LIGHTS – 2020 a monologue for BBC Radio 4
RED VELVET – 2014 Saturday drama BBC Radio 4
THE GODDESS – 2006 Woman’s Hour serial BBC Radio 4
Film:
Lolita produced OF MARY, a short film,
Won the Best Short Film Award at PAFF, Los Angeles 2012
Nominated for Best Producers at Underwire 2012
Other:
Adrian Lester and Lolita Chakrabarti: A Working Diary published by Bloomsbury in
2020
In Development
Theatre:
THE ELEPHANT WHISPERER (White Dog Productions)
Other projects in development at the National Theatre, the Almeida/Eleanor Lloyd Productions. A new musical for which Lolita is writing lyrics.
Film:
RED VELVET the film (Kenneth Branagh)
FOR JOY
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