In 1986 aged 19, Bancil joined HAC theater. One of four professional
British Asian theater companies at the time, HAC was the only one to be
telling stories from a 2nd generation British Asian perspective. While
most were writing about partition, or leaving their homeland, Parv
Bancil was writing about his world, and tackling issues that were
affecting British Asian youth, such as gang culture, drugs, crime and
identity. From 1986 to 1989 he wrote four plays, 'Curse Of The Dead
Dog'(1986), 'Hows Your Skull Does It Fit' (1987), 'Kings' (1988) and
'Bad Company' (1989). And he quickly gained a reputation as a dynamic,
uncompromising and controversial writer, long before it was
fashionable.
In 1991 he was the recipient of a Radio 4 Young Playwright Award for
his play Nadir. By this point HAC had disbanded. But In 1993 Bancil
wrote 'Ungrateful Dead' a play about a young Sikh mans descent into a
world of gangs, violence and drugs. The play had a huge impact on
audiences, and lead to a residency at The Royal Court Theatre. In 1995
Bancil wrote 'Papa Was A Bus Conducter'. A comedy satire based on a
dysfunctional Asian family, it was his first play to receive a TimeOut
Critics Choice. And it was the first of its kind to spark a trend for a
whole spate of Asian comedy that followed over the next 10 years.
Bancils next two plays were to define him as one of the 'In Yer Face'
writers that dominated the 90s. In 1997 he wrote 'Crazy Horse'. It
follows Jas, a young man trying to deal with the death of his mother by
loosing himself in a world of petty crime, until a tragic accident
forces an estranged father and son to confront each other, but with
sinister consequences. It was developed through 'Wild Lunch' with Sarah
Kane and was directed by Vicky Featherstone, and received another Time
Out Critics Choice. The following year Bancil then wrote 'Made In
England', initially commissioned as a 15 minute piece by the 'Red Room'
it was first performed as a full length play in October 1998. Set
against the backdrop of the music industry and 'cool Britannia' it
looked at the idea of trading your cultural identity for success. This
play received Time Out Critics Choice twice.
'Bollywood Or Bust' (1999) a farcical comedy, and Recall (2000) a
combined dance theatre piece with Darshan Singh Bhullar followed. The
next few years saw Papa and Made In England re staged and Bancil also
began to become known as a cultural commentator, writing articles for
magazines and newspapers, and often contributing to radio and
television debate. He also began to write and present TV documentary
and venture into film and screen writing. 2007 saw another
collaboration with Bhullar for Find Me Amongst The Black. And from
2008- 2009 he was on an attachment with The Soho Theatre. In 2010 he
had two new stage plays 'Dead Leaves' and 'Rude Boy' ready to go into
production.
From 1986-1997. he acted in many plays,was the founder member of One
Nation Under A Groove Innit, (an umbrella organization that produced
comedy). Was one half of a comic double act called The Khrai Twins,
based on two bumbling drunken Southall gangsters, and a member of a
comedy trio called the Sycophantic Sponge Bunch. He was also part of a
spoof rock band called The Dead Jalebies. Formed in 1987. They toured
nationally and opened for Asian Dub Foundation in 1991 at the Camden
Underworld. Also supported the Voodoo Queens in 1993.
