Writer & Director: Pravesh Kumar
Song & Lyrics: Tasha Taylor Johnson
Reviewer: Christine Stanton
“Bedazzled & Beautiful”
4 / 5
Frankie and her cousin Goldy are stuck in a rut working in the local cinema of their hometown; Milton Keynes. They feel ‘too brown to be British but too British to be brown’, and spend their days dreaming of a bigger, better life, that doesn’t involve serving popcorn and making lattes.
The best part about working in the cinema for Frankie (Laila Zaidi) is that she gets to watch all the latest Bollywood films as soon as they are released. The films are not only a form of light entertainment featuring a glamourous world she can get lost in, but a memory of her late mother, who had her own dream of making it big and becoming a Bollywood superstar. So, when bigshot director Prem (Navin Kundra) offers the chance to audition for his next movie, it feels like fate giving her the chance to live out her mother’s dream as well as find a surrogate family to give her the connection she desperately misses. But she soon finds out that Bollywood fame comes with its own set of problems – misogyny, nepotism and the pressure of being in the spotlight to name but a few, how much is she willing to endure for showbiz success?
As expected from a Bollywood themed musical, the set (Rebecca Brower) and costumes (Andy Kumar) are bedazzlingly beautiful, bold and brilliant. The bright colours, and glittering fabrics that grace the stage are stunning, really capturing the vibrancy that embodies Bollywood movies. There is a standout moment during one scene, where the outfits are incorporated as part of the backdrop, a fantastically creative idea that plays out perfectly on stage. Andy Kumar and Nicola Mac’s choreography utilise the small space well, creating the impactful, larger than life, well-synced routines with minimal cast members.
The story itself, is purposefully a bit cheesy, nodding fondly at traditional Bollywood storylines and exaggerated nature of the scripts. It’s an easy plot to follow, with a predictable path to the finale, but the simple approach doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the show. Despite leaning into the cheesiness, there are still quite a lot of themes that are explored throughout the show, from the feel-good messages that run throughout of going after your dreams and finding your tribe, but also the more serious – such as the way treatment of women both in and out of the movie industry. Although a lot of the themes are only brushed upon, it’s still commendable that they weren’t just completely ignored.
Tasha Taylor Johnson’s song and lyrics are mostly bubblegum pop, but although enjoyable at the time, none particularly memorable once the lights come up. The hybrid of Bollywood and musical theatre does work, but it would be great if there were more traditional Bollywood style songs and lyrics incorporated into the show as it felt as though they were surprisingly scarce in comparison to the standard musical theatre style music that is featured in abundance. Each of the actors do a great job on stage – with Gigi Zahir (Shona), Geet Sagar (Raju King) and Katie Stasi (Goldy) humorously depicting their comedic characters, and Helen K Wint (Malika/ Maa) elegantly taking on the role of Bollywood’s queen. Laila Zaidi is a good lead, making Frankie a likeable character even when she makes some questionable decisions!
This is a fun, family-friendly show that is championing UK based South Asian talent in a wonderful way.
Runs Until 18th August 2024
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