Bollywood Jane

Published Thursday 7 June 2007 at 14:50 by Kevin Berry

Wow, wow and wow again. Here is unbridled joy and gloriously entertaining theatre. No dancing in the aisles on press night but there will be on other nights.

Why all the fuss about Bollywood? See this show and find out.

Amanda Whittington’s celebration of Bollywood culture has terrific spectacle, a charming, life enriching story and an essential foundation of gritty reality. It can hardly have had a better staging than it gets at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Young Jane has a bleak and unpromising life but she has unquenchable spirit and she is not satisfied with the way things are. Then Dini, who mans a market stall, introduces her to Bollywood films and Jane wants her life to reflect the hope and joy of Bollywood.

Nichola Burley makes her stage debut as Jane and the palpable delight with which she leads the dancing seals this production’s success. What a talent and what a giving performer she is.

Darren Kuppan excels as Dini. Playing Jane’s mum Katherine Dow Blyton gives the story balance and emotional interest.

The fantasy dance sequences, involving 20 community dancers, are inspiring and will have audiences cheering. Choreographer Zoobin Surty has created an exuberant style. He has set his teams tough standards and they don’t let him down.

Colin Richmond’s clever design shows the interior and exterior of a fading cinema on a turntable stage and the circular shaping gives emotional exits and chases some extra impetus.

A wonderful effort from everyone concerned. Broad grins all round and why not ?