The Stage

Britain’s Got Bhangra

Published Thursday 29 April 2010 at 11:21 by Paul Vale

The history of bhangra music in the UK is related in tandem with the rise and fall of one of its fictional stars. Pravesh Kumar, Sumeet Chopra and Dougal Irvine’s new musical is a near perfect amalgam of traditional musical theatre and Bollywood. The excellent libretto offers us a selection of recognisable characters and broad redemption themes, matched with an evocative score. You certainly don’t need to be a fan of the infectious bhangra as the creators satirise and praise the music and lifestyle in equal measure.

A scene from Britain's Got Bhangra at Theatre Royal, Stratford East Photo: Hannah Mornement

There is a wonderful ensemble cast at work here, led by Shin as Twinkle, the boy from the Punjab who travels Southall in search of his fortune. Shin has a strong voice as well as an emotional attachment to the music - he was a founding member of one of the leading bhangra bands in the UK, DCS - that lends credibility to this less than perfect hero. Every hero needs his nemesis and Twinkle’s is Southall impresario Shinde, played by Sophiya Haque. A woman thwarted in love, Shinde is a godsend of a role to play and Haque fulfils the brief exquisitely. Supporting roles such as Jussi played by Natasha Lewis, the excellent Arun Blair-Mangat as Jason and Sunil Pramanik as the musician Rocky flesh out the emotional content, while Rakesh Boury, Rina Fatania and the rest of the ensemble fill the stage with an array of colourful, comic characters.

Judicious editing could shave 15 minutes off the running time, but this would be nit-picking, as Pravesh Kumar’s direction ensures the pace never falters. Stratford East is an ideal venue for this show, but judging purely by the enjoyment factor, there is absolutely no reason why it couldn’t triumph in the West End after its tour.