OCTOBER 1-5: THE book which confirmed E M Forster's status as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century is coming to the stage in Bath.

A Passage To India, which gives a thoughtful portrayal of the subtleties of inter-racial relations, is the latest powerful novel to be interpreted on stage by Shared Experience Theatre Company. The company's previous, enormously acclaimed work includes Anna Karenina, War And Peace and Jane Eyre.

Director Nancy Meckler ran the company from 1988 until 1994, and now shares the task with Polly Teale.

Nancy said the company tries to create theatre pieces which stand up in their own right, and that the key to success is to avoid acting out the book on stage.

She said: "That's a mistake. We try to come up with a theme from the book which is exciting and makes the story relevant for today.

"Then it is easier to choose which bits of the novel we are going to use."

During this process with A Passage To India, Nancy worked very closely with Martin Sherman, who adapted the novel for the stage (and also wrote the hugely successful Bent), to decide on the right approach.

She said: "We haven't stayed true to the whole experience of the novel, but people who love the book feel we have captured the essence of why they love the book."

Both novel and play capture the explosive tensions that exist when two cultures collide. Adela Quested arrives in colonial India in preparation for her marriage to Chandrapore magistrate Ronny Heaslop, but wishes to see the 'real India' and goes on a visit to the Marabar Caves with her mother and the charming Dr Aziz.

But the trip goes disastrously awry, and the ensuing court case unveils the deep divide between two emotionally polarised communities.

Shared Experience have the reputation for staging visually stunning productions, and A Passage To India is no exception.

"We are committed to our theatre being very physical, but the text has equal importance," Nancy said.

The combination helps the company express the intangible with remarkable clarity.

"There are so many extraordinary things you can express on stage which you can't on film or in writing. It is much easier for us to capture a character's inner state, then present what they are showing to the world. We specialise in revealing those inner fears.

"For example, in the court room, when Adela approaches the witness stand, she sees herself walking to the caves, and is aware of what really happened so we have the courtroom scene and the caves scene going on at the same time.

"We bring out a lot of India in the production, and the Indian musicians, who stay on stage the whole time, add marvellously to this."

A Passage To India is on stage at the Theatre Royal in Bath from October 1-5.

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