Saikat Ahamed

Saikat Ahamed (Bengali: সৈকত আহমেদ) is an English actor and writer based in Bristol. He is best known for his role of Vince Arya in Monday Monday.

Saikat Ahamed
সৈকত আহমেদ
Born1970s
Surrey, England
NationalityBritish
EducationBroadcast journalism
OccupationActor, writer
Years active1999–present
Spouse(s)Jenny Ahamed
Websitesaikatahamed.com

Early life

Ahamed was born in Surrey[1] and grew up in Birmingham, West Midlands, England in the 1980s.[2][3]

Ahamed attended King Edward's School in Birmingham, and left in 1992. In 1995, he graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Cardiff University. He then studied acting at the London Centre for Theatre Studies. He was twice Gold champion in Ballroom and Latin American dance.[3]

Ahamed mother's, Hashi, grew up in a war torn[4] Barisal,[5] East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), trained as a doctor and made her way to the United Kingdom to provide an easier life for her children.[4] His father is general practitioner[6] Ahamed's family moved from Bangladesh in 1972 to the UK, where he was born and has lived since.[7]

Career

Since 1999, Ahamed has been an actor working on stage, screen and radio. His work on television and film includes, the regular part of Vince Arya in Monday Monday, East Is East and Trollied.[8]

Ahamed's acting work includes A Fine Balance with Tamasha at Hampstead Theatre, a National Tour of Journey to the West with Tara Arts. At Tobacco Factory Theatre, he played Ali Baba in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves as well as the 'step-brother' in Cinderella, both directed by Sally Cookson.[9] He played the roles of James Henry Trotter in James and the Giant Peach at the Polka Theatre,[10] Ben Gunn in Treasure Island at Bristol Old Vic[11] and Tinker Bell in Peter Pan at Bristol Old Vic. He played Puck and as well as helped to puppeteer Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream at Bristol Old Vic,[12][13] His theatre work also includes shows at The Kennedy Centre[8] as well as stints at Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Leicester Haymarket Theatre[9] and Man Mela.[14][15]

As a writer, Ahamed has completed a number of plays. In February 2013, he performed his one-man show The Tiger and the Moustache at the Tobacco Factory Theatre in Bristol.[16] In 2015, he performed his one-man show Strictly Balti:[17][18] at The Gilded Balloon during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August,[4][19] at the Tobacco Factory Theatre in October[2][6][20] and Birmingham Repertory Theatre in November,[21] before embarking on a national tour.[22]

Since 2005, Ahamed has also worked as a professional storyteller, weaving his traditional tales in schools, restaurants, libraries and festivals in Bristol. In 2006, also received the Norman Beaton Fellowship from BBC Radio Drama and has worked regularly for them ever since.[8]

In December 2011, Ahamed's first radio play, Telling Tales, was commissioned and aired on the BBC Asian Network.[8][23]

In February 2015, Ahamed was interviewed on BBC Somerset.[24] In November and December 2015, he was interviewed by Nadia Ali on BBC Asian Network.[25][26]

Personal life

Ahamed lives in Bristol with his wife, Jenny, and two children.[4]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1999 East Is East Zaid Supporting role
2000 It Was an Accident Ahmed
2000 7/7: Attack on London Mohammad Sidique Khan
2006 Halal Harry Naseem
2011 This Must Be the Place Sumit
2012 Frail Malik
2019 Aladdin Jailer

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2008 Being Human Mortuary Attendant 1 episode: Pilot
2009 Monday Monday Vince Arya 7 episodes: #1.1–1.7
2009 Home Time Egger 1 episode: #1.2
2011 Nuzzle and Scratch: Frock and Roll Golfer 1 episode: Astronauts
2012 Parents Maths Teacher 1 episode: #1.5
Trollied Customer 6 episodes: #2.1, #2.3, #2.4, #2.6, #2.8, #2.10
2013 Common Ground Pav 1 episode: Nell, Ted & Marlon
Wizards vs Aliens Security Man 2 episodes: The Thirteenth Floor, Part One, The Thirteenth Floor, Part Two
2016 Galavant Valencian Peasant 1 1 episode: About Last Knight

Stage
Year Title Role Venue
2002 Journey to the West Art
2004 James and the Giant Peach James Henry Trotter Polka Theatre
2007 A Fine Balance Ishvar Hampstead Theatre
East Is East Oldham Coliseum
Shepherd's Pie Anyone? Theatre Royal Stratford East
Gym Buddies Soho Theatre
2009 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Ali Baba Tobacco Factory Theatre
2010 Treasure Island Ben Gunn Bristol Old Vic, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Young Vic
2011–2013 Cinderella Step-brother Tobacco Factory Theatre
2012 Peter Pan Tinker Bell Bristol Old Vic
2013–2014 Midsummer Night's Dream Puck/Snug Bristol Old Vic, Barbican Centre
2013 The Tiger and the Moustache Hashi Tobacco Factory Theatre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre
2014 The Last Voyage of Sinbad the Sailor Theatre Royal
2015 Strictly Balti Ahamed The Gilded Balloon, Tobacco Factory Theatre, Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Radio
Year Title Role Station
2011 Telling Tales Teacher BBC Asian Network

See also

References
  1. "Saikat Ahamed". BBA Shakespeare. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  2. Phillips, Joan (21 October 2015). "Strictly Balti – Brewery Theatre, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol". The Reviews Hub. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  3. Knight, Selwyn (27 November 2015). "Strictly Balti – The DOOR, Birmingham REP". The Reviews Hub. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  4. Thomson, Wendy (11 July 2015). "Interview with actor and playwright Saikat Ahamed". Female Arts. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  5. "Birth of Bangladesh". Worcester News. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  6. Oldham, Chris (16 November 2015). "Strictly Balti – Brewery Theatre, Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol". The Reviews Hub. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  7. "Strictly Balti". Bath: InBath. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  8. "Saikat Ahamed". Black Theatre Live. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  9. "Saikat Ahamed". Theatre Bristol. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  10. Gardner, Lyn (18 December 2004). "James and the Giant Peach". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  11. Kellaway, Kate (17 July 2011). "Treasure Island; Pericles; In the Penal Colony – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  12. Gardner, Lyn (6 January 2013). "Peter Pan – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  13. Davies, Elizaneth (10 December 2012). "Peter Pan, Bristol Old Vic, Bristol". The Independent. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  14. "Theatre The Cornershop, Cottier Theatre, Glasgow". The Herald. Glasgow. 31 March 2001. Archived from the original on 19 November 2018. Retrieved 11 July 2017 – via HighBeam Research.
  15. "Review Variety is the spice in three-course Asian feast". Edinburgh Evening News. 3 April 2001.
  16. Spanner, Holly (13 February 2012). "The Tiger and the Moustache – Brewery Theatre, The Tobacco Factory, Bristol". The Reviews Hub. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  17. "Strictly Balti by Saikat Ahamed". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  18. Toller, Sam (4 January 2016). "It's strictly for everybody". The University Paper. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  19. Howard, Jane (15 August 2015). "Strictly Balti – Review – Edinburgh Festival guide". Fest Mag Hub. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  20. Mellen, Steve (24 October 2014). "Review: Strictly Balti at Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol". Bristol Post. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  21. Farooq, Aisha (5 November 2015). "Saikat Ahamed brings Strictly Balti to The REP". DESIblitz. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  22. "Strictly Balti (2014, 2015)". Travelling Light Theatre Company. Retrieved 11 July 2017.
  23. "Telling Tales". BBC Asian Network. 27 December 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  24. "Actor Saikat Ahamed and Timsbury Post Office". BBC Somerset. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  25. "Strictly Balti with Saikat Ahamed". BBC Asian Network. 29 November 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  26. "Saikat Ahamed goes Strictly Balti!". BBC Asian Network. 27 December 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
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