MEERA Syal’s much-loved novel Anita and Me bursts on to the stage in an adaptation by Tanika Gupta at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham later this month.

This poignant coming-of-age tale follows Meena, a young girl growing up in the only Punjabi family in a 1970s Black Country mining village.

Meena spends her days happily getting into scrapes with the other local children until one day the impossibly cool Anita enters her life.

Suddenly Meena knows exactly who she wants to be but is Anita all that she seems?

Soon Meena’s world is turned upside down as she is caught between two very different cultures.

Anita And Me paints a comic, poignant, compassionate and colourful portrait of village life in the era of flares, power cuts, glam rock, decimalisation and Ted Heath.

It has been adapted for the stage by the multi-award-winning Tanika Gupta from the best-selling book by Meera Syal.

Meera is an acclaimed comedian, actress and writer whose TV credits include the BBC comedy series Goodness, Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42.

It stars Shobna Gulati as Daljit, best known for her roles in Coronation Street and dinnerladies.

  • Anita and Me will be at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham from Tuesday, February 28 to Saturday, March 4 with evening performances at 7.45pm and Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2pm. Tickets from £15, for more information and to purchase visit everymantheatre.org.uk or call 01242 572573.