As soon as I approached the theatre I knew my evening was going to be uplifting, entertaining and leave me whistling catchy tunes due to the music and energy I could hear radiating from the building. West Yorkshire Playhouse should be congratulated for their entertainment in the foyer before the show, a group of dancers from Zoobin Karma Dance who got everyone smiling and set a sense of excitement for the show.
Britain’s Got Bhangra charts the development of Bhangra music from the 1980’s to the present day. Telling the story of a young Indian community trying to make a voice for themselves within the new western world they found themselves. The story is focused around Twinkle, played by Shin, a young man who moves to the ‘gold lined streets of London’ to make money with the aim of giving his wife a good life. He is a talented singer but in his naivety signs his music across to Shindie, played by Sophiya Haque, a self obsessed ‘entrepreneur’.
Pravesh Kumar’s production is an excellent introduction to bhangra music for those who are new to it. It pulled in a full house of both English and Punjabi speakers. The cast sing and act in both English and Punjabi, at first it feels a little difficult to take in, but then you just relax and go along with the story, the choreography and expression of the cast are more than enough to make you understand what is going on. The storyline is basic but this works with everything else that is happening on stage, communication through music and dance is the main aim of this show and a more complicated plot would get in the way of the spectacle and tongue in cheek humour.
The casting was exceptional, each cast member stood out individually no matter how big or small the part. I loved the performances of Rina Fatania who opens the show with a unique version of twinkle twinkle little star. Rakesh Bourny plays the part of DJ lovely in an annoying yet lovable naïve way with some great moves, he is thoroughly entertaining. Sophiya Haques portrayal of Shin’s nemesis was fantastic, and her beautiful, unique voice is showcased in the opening number to the second half. Arun Blair-Mangat who plays Twinkle’s illegitimate love child, Jason, has a stunningly pure voice, you could listen to it all night. Of course, probably unsurprisingly my highlight was Shin, his voice is indescribable, he has beautiful tones, sings each song with a passion and technical brilliance, an all round spectacular performer.
The cast worked together incredibly well, the quality of the singing was consistently exceptional. If you close your eyes you would believe you were listening to a large chorus, in fact there were only 11 of them, regularly shifting between characters.
The music by Sumeet Chopra is fabulously addictive making you want to dance and foot tap at every given opportunity both during and after the show. It sets the pace of the performance meaning you barely notice any scene changes through the excitement of the music. The band under the musical direction of Mark Collins should be given a special mention as they never stopped playing. It was great to see them on stage too during the recording sessions.
Andy Kumar’s choreography is second to none. He manages to create a spectacular scene in what seems at times like limited space. Equally as impressive and adding to the spectacle of the show are the colourful costumes, designed by Andy and Laura Stanfield.
The set designed by Simon Lima Holdsworth was wonderful on arrival to the theatre I felt like I was in for something special from the outset, when in England the set consisted of a street lined with shops and it was inside the shutters that the band sat. The lighting design by Douglas Kurt worked hand in hand with the set and creatively managed to quickly transform the mood of the story.
An all round passionate, energetic and humorous performance which could not fail to send each audience member away with a song in their heart, a smile on their face and a love for bhangra music.
