Name: The Indian Army at the Palace: Live
Start: 2025-10-15T10:00
End: 2025-10-30T16:00
Location: Hampton Court Palace

Powerful live theatre from an award-winning company

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When

15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 November 2025

Ticketing information

Three 15-minute scenes will be performed twice daily.

Included in palace admission (Members go free)

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Events

See the captivating story of Indian Army sepoys (soldiers) camping at Hampton Court Palace brought to life this November. Drawing on the popular exhibition The Indian Army at the Palace, the fascinating histories of these men will be given new life by critically acclaimed British South Asian theatre company, Rifco Theatre Company.

On select weekends throughout November, step into Hampton Court Palace and be taken back in time to the early 1900s. Through a set of three interlinked 15-minute stories, each set during a pivotal moment in Britain’s imperial timeline, we explore events not through kings and crowns, but through the eyes of ordinary soldiers who crossed continents and cultures

Image: © Historic Royal Palaces / Dr Tejpal Singh Ralmill

Learn more about these performances.

The Indian Army at the Palace

Don’t miss your chance to hear the stories of the sepoys who stayed at Hampton Court Palace. Visit the Indian Army at the Palace exhibition as part of your visit before it closes on 01 February 2026.

Get up close to the objects donated by families whose fathers, grandfathers, and great grandfathers made history. You’ll also get to explore the full 60 acre gardens and Henry VIII’s famous home as part of your ticket.

A stereoview of Indian Army at Hampton Court Palace in 1902. Caption reads: "Duke of Connaught and Lord Kitchener, Commander-in-Chief Indian Army, reviewing His Majesty's loyal forces, Hampton Court" 1902, Underwood & Underwood — *Image: © Historic Royal Palaces*

Performance credits

In partnership with Rifco Theatre Company

Writer & Director – Pravesh Kumar MBE

Director – Ameet Chana

Costume Designer – Andy Kumar

Musical Director – Hinal Pattani

Producer – Amy Mann

Executive Producer – George Warren

Marketing Manager – Shamima Noor

Historic Royal Palaces Consultants - Rav Singh and Dr. Tejpal Singh Ralmill from A Little History of the Sikhs

Performances

Sepoys in the Great Hall

It’s the summer of 1902, and 1,200 Indian Army soldiers have sailed to England for the coronation of Edward VII, only to find the King has appendicitis and everything is delayed. With time on their hands and not a procession in sight, four soldiers in the Indian Army turn their unplanned wait into an impromptu holiday. Based at Hampton Court, they explore London’s marvels, ride trams, and - most delightfully - take a self-guided tour of Hampton Court Palace. As they wander through echoing halls of Tudor intrigue and royal tapestries, they trade jokes, marvel at strange British customs, and reflect on empire, identity, and friendship.

Great Hall, Henry VIII’s Apartments

11:00 & 13:45, 15 mins approx.

Chai with the Princess

In the golden September of 1919, as peace settles over postwar England, a group of Indian soldiers - wounded, weary, but proud - find themselves unlikely guests at Hampton Court Palace. The soldiers prepare nervously for a remarkable occasion: a tea invitation from Princess Sophia Duleep Singh, suffragette and daughter of a Maharaja. Trading battlefield grit for polished boots and hesitant English, the soldiers prepare to make their way to Faraday House opposite Hampton Court Palace to take tea with the Princess.

Queen’s Guard Chamber, The Georgian Story

11:30 & 14:15, 15 mins approx.

Sepoys and the Spanish Flu

In the aftermath of war and amid the devastation of the 1919 Spanish flu, three Indian sepoys recover in canvas tents on the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace. As sickness threatens their lives and spirits, they are visited by Dr. Kartar Singh, an Indian Army doctor working tirelessly to save his countrymen. Amid news of comrades lost and uncertain futures, a gift from the Maharajah of Patiala and the promise of the first gurdwara in England spark a moment of hope. In the fading light, the soldiers share laughter, memories, and a song from home - finding strength not just in medicine, but in music, brotherhood, and the enduring pull of their homeland.

King’s Guard Chamber, William III’s Apartments

12:00 & 14:45, 15 mins approx.

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Exhibition
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The Indian Army at the Palace

Explore the forgotten story of Indian Army soldiers who camped at Hampton Court Palace in the early 20th century, through a new exhibition of previously unseen objects, photographs, film and personal stories.