Sudha swaps Corrie cobbles and Virdee squabbles for campus
A former soap star says she is honoured to be named Artist-in-Residence at Theatre in The Mill, the University of Bradford’s arts organisation.
Sudha Bhuchar, who has starred in EastEnders and Coronation Street, will host masterclasses with district residents and stage performances of her solo show, Evening Conversations, as part of her residency, which helps mark Bradford’s UK City of Culture celebrations.
Sudha, who will be in the role, co-commissioned by the University of Bradford and Bradford 2025, until March 2026, said: “I am honoured to be invited to be an Artist-in-Residence at Theatre in the Mill during this celebratory year.
“It is a privilege to be able to look back and share some of my back catalogue of work and practice and to be inspired by engagement with communities from this vibrant and unique city.
“This is an opportunity for me to get to know Bradford. It is such a multi-cultural city with its own identity. After filming for Virdee here last year, this feels like my time to be in Bradford.”
Sudha Bhuchar says she is honoured to take on the role. Images credit: University of Bradford
Who is Sudha Bhuchar?
Sudha is an actor, playwright and co-founder of London-based Tamasha Theatre Company. She is Artistic Director of Bhuchar Boulevard, which creates theatre for multiple and diverse audiences.
She starred in EastEnders, as Meena McKenzie, Gita Kapoor’s sister and had a storyline affair with her brother-in-law, Sanjay, during her time on-screen, between 1993 and 1996. She appeared in Coronation Street, as Sonia Rahman, in 2016 and was the original Usha Gupta in BBC Radio Four soap, The Archers.
She said: “I was only in EastEnders for about a year altogether. It was short but seems to be memorable for people. The storyline was impactful. There were only four TV channels in those days, so millions of people watched it.
“You get recognised in the street when you’re in those programmes. I did a short stint in Coronation Street. My soap career started with The Archers.
“It’s not been the biggest period of my life. Most of my career has been in the theatre, acting, writing, radio and lots of other things.”
Earlier this year she appeared in Bradford-based BBC One crime drama series, Virdee, as DCI Harry Virdee’s mother, Jyoti Virdee. Sudha was among the cast of Expats, a 2024 Prime Video drama starring Nicole Kidman.
Sudha recalls performing on stage at Theatre in the Mill in the early 1990s, as part of a touring production from Tara Arts, now known as Tara Theatre.
From left, Sudha Bhuchar and Dr Shabina Aslam, Artistic Director at Theatre in the Mill. Images credit: University of Bradford
What the new role will include
Drawing upon her encounters and working with local talent, Sudha will create a series of monologues and character studies inspired by testimonies and participant engagement.
These will premiere as part of Theatre in the Mill’s New Works Festival in November 2025.
As part of her residency, she will perform her solo show, ‘Evening Conversations’ at the Loading Bay, Duke Street, Bradford, on July 25 and at The Beacon, Cliffe Castle Park, Keighley, on July 28. The touring show, written and performed by Sudha, brings to the stage the quick-fire banter she has with her own sons, and discusses her career.
There will also be a script in hand performance of Balti Kings, a play Sudha co-wrote with fellow actor Shaheen Khan, at the World Curry Festival, held in Bradford between September 16 and 30. Set in the kitchen of a Balti restaurant in Birmingham’s Ladypool Road, the play celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Dr Shabina Aslam, Artistic Director at Theatre in the Mill, said: “Sudha is a quiet revolutionary. For more than 40 years, she has been at the heart of South Asian theatre in Britain — building, performing and writing stories that speak truth to power.
“Her residency represents both legacy and renewal. As we embrace Bradford 2025, we hope her presence will ignite a new wave of northern South Asian artists.”