Credit: Seamus Ryan/ Bob King Creative
Noor Inayat Khan is the real woman behind Stephanie Street’s new play a small and quiet light, which premieres at Chichester Festival Theatre’s Minerva Theatre before transferring to the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond.
The play is based on the life of Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, a courageous Second World War agent who fought against fascism and paid the ultimate price for her work. She was one of the secret agents of Britain’s Special Operations Executive and became the first female radio operator to be sent undercover into France.
There is also a strong Chichester connection. Noor was sent undercover into France from RAF Tangmere, just outside Chichester, which makes the play’s premiere at the Minerva Theatre feel especially fitting.
Why Is Noor Inayat Khan Important?
Noor Inayat Khan’s story is one of bravery, secrecy, identity and sacrifice.
In a small and quiet light, the audience meets her in October 1943, inside a small office on the Avenue Foch in Paris. She is being questioned by a Gestapo interrogator after being betrayed. By this point, she has already lived under several names, including Babuli, Jeanne-Marie, Nora and Madeleine.
That detail alone says so much. This was not simply a woman carrying out a dangerous job. She was living inside layers of identity, memory and risk, trying to survive in a world where one mistake could cost her everything.
The play appears to explore not only Noor’s wartime courage, but also the person behind the mission: her beloved father, a thwarted lover, the brutal journey into war and her longing for the piano of her childhood.
What Is a small and quiet light About?
a small and quiet light is a new play by Stephanie Street based on Noor Inayat Khan’s life.
The story begins in Paris in 1943, where Noor is being interrogated after her capture. As she faces the fate she has long feared, memories gather around her, building a picture of the woman behind the code names and wartime records.
The title suggests something intimate rather than grand. This does not sound like a loud, flag-waving war drama. It sounds more interested in the quiet human cost of courage: what it means to keep going, to resist, and to hold on to yourself when the world is trying to strip everything away.
Who Plays Noor Inayat Khan?
Priyanga Burford stars as Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan.
Burford’s stage credits include The Vortex at Chichester Festival Theatre, The Seagull at the Barbican and An Enemy of the People in the West End, for which she received an Olivier Award nomination. Her television credits include Steeltown Murders.
It feels like a substantial role, because Noor is not only the historical subject of the play. She is the emotional centre of it. The production seems to be asking audiences to see her not just as a heroic name from history, but as a woman made up of love, fear, music, memory and extraordinary resolve.
Full Cast For a small and quiet light
The full cast joining Priyanga Burford in a small and quiet light has now been announced.
| Performer | Detail |
|---|---|
| Priyanga Burford | Plays Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan |
| Kiah Arya | Making her professional debut |
| Léa des Garets | Credits include George at the Criterion Theatre and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe |
| Caoilfhionn Dunne | Credits include How To Get To Heaven from Belfast and Industry |
| Amanda Hadingue | Credits include The Tempest at Shakespeare’s Globe and Drive Your Plow with Complicité |
| Tripti Tripuraneni | Credits include After the Flood and The Cherry Orchard with English Touring Theatre |
| Paksie Vernon | Credits include The Narcissist at Chichester Festival Theatre and People, Places and Things at the National Theatre |
Priyanga Burford
Priyanga Burford leads the company as Noor Inayat Khan.
Her previous work includes The Vortex at Chichester Festival Theatre, The Seagull at the Barbican and An Enemy of the People in the West End. Her performance in An Enemy of the People earned her an Olivier Award nomination.
Kiah Arya
Kiah Arya joins the company and makes her professional debut in a small and quiet light.
That is a lovely detail to keep in, because a professional debut in a new play at Chichester Festival Theatre and the Orange Tree Theatre is a proper milestone.
Léa des Garets
Léa des Garets joins the cast with credits including George at the Criterion Theatre and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Caoilfhionn Dunne
Caoilfhionn Dunne is part of the cast, with screen credits including How To Get To Heaven from Belfast and Industry.
Amanda Hadingue
Amanda Hadingue joins the production with credits including The Tempest at Shakespeare’s Globe and Drive Your Plow with Complicité.
Tripti Tripuraneni
Tripti Tripuraneni’s credits include After the Flood and The Cherry Orchard with English Touring Theatre.
Paksie Vernon
Paksie Vernon joins the company following credits including The Narcissist at Chichester Festival Theatre and People, Places and Things at the National Theatre.
Who Wrote a small and quiet light?
a small and quiet light is written by Stephanie Street.
Street’s plays include The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Sisters. As an actor, her Chichester credits include Our Generation and Quiz. At the National Theatre, she has appeared in Coriolanus, Behind the Beautiful Forevers and Nightwatchman, the latter earning her a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Solo Performance.
Her recent television work includes NDA, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, The Lady, Joan, Until I Kill You and Breathtaking.
Who Is Directing a small and quiet light?
The production is co-directed by Diyan Zora and Elin Schofield.
Diyan Zora previously directed Mom, How Did You Meet The Beatles? at Chichester Festival Theatre. More recently, her work has included Roots at the Almeida and English for the Royal Shakespeare Company, which received an Olivier Award nomination.
Elin Schofield is currently Associate Director at the Donmar Warehouse. Her work includes Scissors at Sheffield Theatres, for which she won the UK Theatre Award for Best Director.
Full Creative Team
The creative team for a small and quiet light includes:
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Writer | Stephanie Street |
| Co-Director | Diyan Zora |
| Co-Director | Elin Schofield |
| Designer | Anna Yates |
| Lighting Designer | Ryan Joseph Stafford |
| Composer | Nicola T Chang |
| Sound Designer | Tingying Dong |
| Movement Director | Adi Gortler |
| Fight Director | Sam Lyon-Behan |
| Casting Director | Jacob Sparrow |
| Consultant Producer | Priyanga Burford / Dawn Chorus Films |
When Is a small and quiet light Playing?
a small and quiet light opens at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre before transferring to the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond.
| Venue | Location | Dates | Press Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre | Chichester | 21 August – 12 September | Thursday 27 August |
| Orange Tree Theatre | Richmond | 21 September – 24 October | Monday 28 September |
Due to demand, a limited number of extra seats have been added to the Minerva Theatre for all performances.
Booking Information
| Venue | Website | Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| Minerva Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre | cft.org.uk | 01243 781312 |
| Orange Tree Theatre | orangetreetheatre.co.uk | 020 8940 3633 |
Grace’s View
Noor Inayat Khan’s story has the kind of quiet power that theatre can hold beautifully.
There is a danger with wartime stories that they become all medals, missions and noble speeches. But a small and quiet light sounds more intimate than that. It seems to be looking at Noor not just as a brave agent, but as a person: someone with a childhood, a father she loved, music she missed, names she carried and fear she still had to walk through.
That, to me, is where the drama sits.
The Chichester connection gives the production an extra layer too. Knowing that Noor was sent into France from RAF Tangmere, just outside Chichester, makes the Minerva Theatre premiere feel rooted in the landscape around it. It is not just history being performed at a distance. There is a local echo here.
Priyanga Burford leading the cast feels like a strong announcement, especially given her Olivier-nominated stage work. I also like the shape of the wider company: experienced performers, screen and stage credits, and Kiah Arya making her professional debut. There is something quite moving about a play concerned with memory and legacy also making room for a performer at the very beginning of her professional journey.
This feels like one to watch closely. Not because it is loud, but because it might not need to be.
FAQs
Who was Noor Inayat Khan?
Noor Inayat Khan was a Second World War agent who worked with Britain’s Special Operations Executive. She became the first female radio operator to be sent undercover into France and is the real woman behind Stephanie Street’s play a small and quiet light.
What is a small and quiet light about?
The play is based on Noor Inayat Khan’s life and begins in October 1943, as she is questioned by a Gestapo interrogator in Paris after being betrayed.
Is a small and quiet light based on a true story?
Yes. The play is based on the life of Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, who lived from 1914 to 1944 and fought against fascism during the Second World War.
Who plays Noor Inayat Khan?
Priyanga Burford plays Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan.
Who else is in the cast?
The cast includes Kiah Arya, Léa des Garets, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Amanda Hadingue, Tripti Tripuraneni and Paksie Vernon.
Who wrote a small and quiet light?
The play is written by Stephanie Street.
Who is directing a small and quiet light?
The production is co-directed by Diyan Zora and Elin Schofield.
Where is a small and quiet light playing?
The production opens at the Minerva Theatre at Chichester Festival Theatre, then transfers to the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond.
Why is Chichester important to Noor Inayat Khan’s story?
Noor was sent undercover into France from RAF Tangmere, which is just outside Chichester. That gives the Minerva Theatre premiere a strong local connection.
Has extra seating been added at Chichester?
Yes. Due to demand, a limited number of extra seats have been added to the Minerva Theatre for all performances.
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