1,248 posts
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Post by joem on Nov 13, 2024 14:43:55 GMT
I am not a fan of Emma Rice, nor generally of the director as protagonist. Neither am I a fan of "quirky" as routing, "quirky" as routine becomes mildly annoying eccentricity. So I went to see this production - the novel is for me a bit of a sacred cow - with some trepidation. But Kureishi needs all the help he can get at the moment so that was the clincher.
The production is easy on the eye: colourful, brash, funny and very musical. I do get the sense that it has been simplified from both the novel and the memorable tv adaptation - a hell of a cast that had - and that joy has become laughter, the quick quip favoured over the deeper dark humour of the source material.
The visual/aural style is distinctively distinctive but after a while you wonder if the extended disco routines are necessary, we get the point to the point that you almost wish they really would take a leaf out of Abigail and start playing some Demis Roussos. And really, although it is a narrated novel, it should be possible to reduce the narration keeping the pithier bits and slashing the exposition. And the "Buddha" himself is a bit lost in the mix, a much more muscular and less mystical version than Roshan Seth's tv Buddha.
Shout out for Dee Ahluwalia who as Karim the family boy dreaming of razzmatazz carries the show and almost makes us forget Naveen Andrews.
Not bad but doesn't quite do justice to the original novel.
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Post by samuel1980 on Nov 13, 2024 15:30:10 GMT
I managed to get a Rush ticket for this recently in the front row, which gave a great view thanks to a low stage. I agree with you, it's a colourful and brash production with lots of humour. I didn't mind too much about the disco routines. I did think it dragged a bit in Act 2 but managed to pick itself up towards the end. I enjoyed it overall, as did the lively audience I had with me.
I thought Dee Ahluwalia was very good as Karim but the standout for me was Ankur Bahl playing the Dad, he was excellent and very supple!
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Post by marob on Nov 13, 2024 16:25:15 GMT
I saw this on Saturday, on a rush ticket. Thought it was pretty good. I’m a bit apprehensive when it comes to Emma Rice, as it often feels like she can’t go 10 minutes without inserting a dance routine or a puppet, but I think this was probably the strongest of her shows I’ve seen.
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Post by max on Nov 14, 2024 8:38:02 GMT
Terrific central performance from Dee Ahluwalia as Karim - very commanding and charming in his direct address to the audience, and throughout. So many other performances to enjoy - particularly Ankur Bahl as dad Haroon, Simon Rivers as Changez, Rina Fatania (always great comic value) in multiple roles, Tommy Belshaw as Charlie, and Natasha Jayetileke as Jamila.
I would like to have seen even more from the relationship with Charlie - we never got to see him perform in his band; something that might have intoxicated Karim.
I wasn't as keen on the adaptation overall, and I've got a problem with what happens with Emma Rice's use of Ensemble. In her shows, whenever a group of people are identified (here it's Indian beach cricketers, Punks, Actors, etc) they get treated as a blob and turned into comedy fodder. 'That lot are funny, aren't they?'. No. If I was to list the last time I've seen women portrayed either as gorgons, ditsy airheads, or sleeve tugging squawky 'cockney sparrers' it would all be in Emma Rice shows. I guess she'd say it's earthy accessible theatre, but I don't see the love for the characters when they're made smaller and 'less than' (an odd thing for a self-proclaimed working class theatre director to do).
I thought her excellent 'Bluebeard' was an exception earlier this year. Perhaps the subject matter was too grave to trivialise the characters in that one.
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2,492 posts
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Post by zahidf on Nov 14, 2024 22:14:21 GMT
Really enjoyed this tonight. Glad I saw it before it closes on Sat
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Post by Jan on Nov 15, 2024 8:24:29 GMT
.... a self-proclaimed working class theatre director ... Well that is debatable. When she got fired from the Globe she said it was because she had a "working-class background" and "only had two A Levels". But in another interview around the same time she said "I am not working class and never have been! I am happily and luckily middle class.". The evidence suggests to me that anyone who is doing adaptations of Brief Encounter and The Red Shoes and Rebecca and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is likely to be definitively middle-class (just like every other theatre director). |
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Post by rayc on Nov 16, 2024 13:57:03 GMT
Caught this last week and enjoyed it a lot. Even so, I imagine it would have had a longer life in the west end in a smaller theatre.
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Post by jr on Nov 16, 2024 14:19:29 GMT
Saw it last night. I had only seen Emma Rice's Brief encounter and had mixed feelings. I liked it but didn't think it suited the material.
Here it works really well. Though I would cut down some of the antics and focus more on emotion, it is a fantastic production. I love the novel and also liked the TV show and think it is a great adaptation.
The cast is fantastic, all playing multiple roles. And Dee Ahluwalia is amazing. He is barely off stage and is able to be funny, moving and commanding.
I hope it is extended or comes back and more people are able to enjoy it.
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