Merrigong Theatre Company brings National Theatre of Parramatta’s Guards at the Taj to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre from 19 to 21 September.

Set in India in 1648, Guards at the Taj follows best friends and guards in Hindustani ruler Shah Jahan’s Imperial Army, Humayun and Babur. Humayun, a sternly loyal second-generation civil servant, feels compelled to follow orders to appease his father, whilst a sensitive and inquisitive Babur is more sceptical. Tasked with standing guard over the newly constructed Taj Mahal on the night before it is revealed to the world, guarding is the last thing on Babur’s mind, leading Humayun with him as instead they bicker, reminisce and daydream.

Subsequently, when they are both ordered to do the unthinkable, to ensure the beauty of the Taj Mahal is never rivalled, the stoic Humayun and imaginative Babur must confront what loyalty, friendship and following orders truly mean to them.