We Got Oldham’s Got Britain’s Got Bangra
by st editor Wednesday 9th November 2011
The Audience Loved it. We Loved it – It’s on for the rest of the week – go see it!
It’s awesome. Fun, Sad, Uplifting, Silly, everything a Musical should be.
All the classic elements of the musical are there:
Like “An American in Paris” where the guy from the small town with big talent who “gotta dance” is drawn to the big city to earn fame an fortune, the setbacks and betrayals and tragedy along the way, fame and humility lost but then re-won with gained wisdom and newly regained heart.
In this case the “small town” is a village in India where the hero starts out; “the guy” is a man born to sing and the big city is London, England.
Arriving in the UK to work so he is first confronted by the weather in sunny Southall. His goal: to can earn enough for his love to come join him to marry and start a family. Sidetracked by his discovery as a singer by a local entrepreneur with a studio at the back of a sari- shop. He gets caught up in endless touring and the ego- trip of becoming the Bangra Singing Sensation “Twinkle” and is ultimately dumped by his manager when the next big thing comes along. This time it’s DJs and re-mixers who bypass the need for singers and new songs by simply remixing old ones with a new beat.
We have a (surprise) son turning up full of dad’s talent, precipitating a family crisis, and much more in a story spanning 3 decades from the Southall Riots of ’77 up until today, touching every pop-culture milestone along the way with changing styles, fashions and music.
From Southall to the suburbs it’s all there: The pre-cellular era “next you’ll be telling me I can put a phone n my pocket”, National Front, Margaret Thatcher, brick sized mobile phones, Charles n Diana (an arranged marriage-yeah), New Labour “red is so my colour”, sampling and the rise of the DJ as star, changing the language innit, from cassettes to mp3!s and right up-to-date with Kate’n’Wills and the Coalition “Yes-blue with a hint of yellow is my colour” and instant-fame TV “Talent” shows. Naturally happiness and family is restored by the conclusion and the rip- off manager gets her come-uppance live on the TV finals of “Britains got Bangra”.
All done with great humour and style and joie-de-vivre topped with a witty social commentary and each change in era prompted by an intros from asian radio reporter whose own progress from underground asian radio to BBC mirrors the ongoing status of the cross-cultural mix.
Magic.

Article: http://sylhettimesdigital.co.uk/we-got-oldhams-got-britains-got-bangra-review/

Britain’s Got Bhangra

By Pravesh Kumar, music by Sumeet Chopra, lyrics by Dougal Irvine
Rifco Arts in a co-production with Watford Palace Theatre and Warwick Arts Centre
Hackney Empire and touring

Review by Felicity Turner (2011)

“What the hell is Bhangra?” sings Jason – our British born, half Jamaican, half Indian hero. I confess – I have no idea either. But in Rifco Arts’ brilliantly hilarious musical, Britain’s Got Bhangra, which plays at the Hackney Empire on the fourth leg of its country-wide tour, it doesn’t matter.

Two reasons: white actors play Indian characters, Asian actors play Jamaican characters, men play women, and vice versa; and meanwhile, Sumeet Chopra’s superb score has the audience dancing in the aisles (no, really!). It shows those of us in the audience who don’t know our Bhangra from our Bollywood, and those that do, that racial and cultural cliques are not important here. With unapologetic lines like “twist the lightbulb” – who could feel ashamed to not know the lingo?

In a heart-warming tale, Twinkle, a newlywed with nothing to support his wife but his voice, travels to England in search of the “streets lined with gold”. The cold and wet reality with which he is met makes his sudden shoot to heady fame as a Bhangra singer all the more seductive. But when a knife comes between his band, a series of EastEnders meets East is East events lands Twinkle in a downwards spiral. What follows cleverly charts the fusion of Bhangra and British popular music, as well as giving a witty account of the social and political history of the last thirty years. Telephones get gradually smaller, and ties go from blue to red, and back to blue again – with a hint of yellow, of course.

Returning from its successful 2010 run by popular demand, this production of Britain’s Got Bhangra is billed as “remixed and remastered”. A double meaning, referring not only to the remixing of Bhangra music to match the evolving landscape of British popular music, but also to Rifco Arts’ redevelopment of the show for its revival. The latter has worked wonders, as the show resembles one of those digitally remastered Disney DVDs – brighter, louder and crisper – with a kaleidoscope of colours on stage.

This is demonstrated not only by the endless array of bright saris edged in gold, but also by the constant presence of the large glass Dohl drum at the rear of the stage, decorated with patterns of neon pinks, blues and greens. Inside this drum sits the live band – a fusion of Bhangra instruments with electric keyboard and bass guitar. This serves as a constant and pleasant reminder of the importance of music to the story itself, and not just its telling.

The energy flowing from the stage comes not just from the endless colour and the insistent beats of the Bhangra music but also from the talented cast. The real-life fame of Shin, playing Twinkle, is apparent as he helps the audience fall in love with the art of Bhangra through the effortless control of his voice. His cheeky demeanour retains the audience’s sympathy throughout, no matter how many wrong turns his character makes – even more so under the watchful eye of his dead mother (Rina Fatania) who will take no monkey-business, even from her place among the stars.

Fatania provides constant, belly-aching laughter in her many roles throughout the show but perhaps most memorable, and yet most simple, is her ability to make driving a mobility scooter around a stage so hilarious and yet so threatening. Sohm Kapila’s performance strikes a chord with every woman in the audience as the ever-loving and supporting wife of an ambitious musician. While on the opposite end of the scale, Natasha Jayetileke plays our villain, Shinde, as the jilted innocent turned man-hating music-biz executive, riling the audience to almost pantomime-esque hissing.

Finally, there is a very lovely comparison on stage between the hard man with a soft centre, DJ Lovely (Rakesh Boury), and the sensitive boy with a brave core, Jason (Jason Denton). Their rap and R&B battles over ownership of Bhangra when neither really knows what that might be is a touching reminder that Twinkle’s mantra to “know who you are” is growing ever more important as cultures become fused in our society.

Anyone who is still ashamed to admit that they don’t know anything about Bhangra – come on down. You’ll be racing your friends back to your iTunes to hear more of this enchanting art.

“Britain’s Got Bhangra” plays at the Hackey Empire until 16th October, then tours to: Theatre Royal, Windsor – 18th-22nd October; West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds – 25th-29th October; Oldham Coliseum – 8th-12th November; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry – 15th-27th November.

Britain’s Got Bhangra is Remixed and Remastered and already getting 5 star reviews! 

‘something truly great – a musical that matters and a top-class night out.’ ***** Watford Observer

Read the article here: http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/leisure/reviews/9268407.Britain_s_Got_Bhangra_____/

This show teaches you, reaches you and makes you want to invite all your friends and family…This a West End show’ ***** Remote Goat

Make sure you book your ticket in time for the remainder of the tour!

Watford Palace Theatre, London: 16^th – 24^th September

Orchard Theatre, Dartford: 27^th September – 1^st October

Curve Theatre, Leicester: 4^th – 8^th October

Hackney Empire, London: 12^th – 16^th October

Theatre Royal Windsor: 18^th – 22^nd October

West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds: 25^th – 29^th October

Oldham Coliseum: 8^th – 12 November

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry : 15^th – 27^th November

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.

So, as I’m sitting waiting for the show to start, I’m leafing through the programme and find myself saying ‘Holy crap! Britain’s had a thriving Bhangra scene for 30 years that has, at times, outsold the UK top 40? You mean it didn’t all start with that Punjabi MC Knightrider remix?’ Then I realised I was talking to myself and it might look a bit weird. Anyway, suffice to say, my knowledge of Bhangra music is, well, pretty much non-existent.

The basic story of Britain’s Got Bhangra is [take a deep breath and follow along with me here]: Twinkle, the lead character, moves from India to England with hopes of sending for his wife when he earns enough money. He gets a job with his new found friend Rocky and they discover a mutual love of singing. Twinkle goes to temple and the Priest likes his singing voice so much, he asks him to sing at a wedding. Twinkle and Rocky sing at the wedding where the groom runs off with a guest and the bride is distraught. A year later, Twinkle runs into the jilted bride and she persuades him and Rocky to record some music. She then becomes their manager. Following? Good.

We then see, through Twinkle and Rocky’s journey how Bhangra progresses through the 80s into 1997. They are the darlings of the Bhangra scene in the UK, touring around the country, celebrated wherever they go. Twinkle, however, has let fame get to his head somewhat and has become a drunk. He even sleeps with a groupie (very rock n’ roll). Rocky is sick of Twinkle’s behaviour and informs him that he plans to move back to India and get married. When he tells Shindie, their manager, she is equally unimpressed. The thuggish brother of the groupie Twinkle slept with comes looking for him and Shinde, out of spite, points him in the direction of Rocky and well, bad things happen.

Twinkle spirals into a depression, doesn’t show up for gigs. Meanwhile, Bhangra is changing and a younger crowd who are remixing the sound have taken over. In the second act we see Twinkle struggle to get his life together as repercussions from his stardom, particularly that groupie encounter, come back to haunt him.

I’ll be honest, there were moments in the show that were complete corn on the cob, covered in cheese. But heck, I’m a known lover of a cheesy musical. There is obviously a lot of Punjabi/Urdu used throughout and at times, I felt I couldn’t really connect. At certain points, a joke is made of this when Twinkle sings to his wife and half way through, stops and says ‘this isn’t working, let’s try it in English.’

The cast are fantastic and truly look like they’re having a blast. Twinkle (played by Shin) has a superb voice. Cast member Rina Fatania who plays an Auntie is wasted in the chorus – someone get this woman her own show! She got huge laughs whenever she was on – absolutely perfect comic timing.

The show builds to a climax and the ending will knock your socks off, knit you a new pair and knock them off again. A full on Bhangra number complete with Bollywood-style routine, amazing set and awesome costumes? Well, I don’t mind if I do. The audience went absolutely mental at the end. Talk about high energy.

This is a great show, with some wonderfully comical moments and a fantastic soundtrack that young and old alike will enjoy. Showing at the Playhouse til July 17th, I suggest you get your sari on, get down there and have yourself a good time.

The cast are fantastic and truly look like they’re having a blast. Twinkle (played by Surrinder Singh Parwana (Shin) has a superb voice.

- Submitted by BangsandaBun

View the article here: http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/?p=6974

Venue: The Playhouse
Where: Oxford
Date Reviewed: 09 June 2010
WOS Rating: 

The Indian subcontinent seems to loom large in my reviewer’s mind right now after last week’s expedition to the North Wall for Correspondence. Tonight we are back at the Playhouse for Rifco Arts’ superb Britain’s Got Bhangra.

We meet our hero, Twinkle, as he is about to make the great leap from India to Britain to strike it big in the 1970s. He has the immigrant blues though, and needs to deal with success, money and his love back in the motherland. What is striking about the production is its unfussy use of, and clear love for, the musical form.

To explain: new musicals commonly fall into the trap of putting their subject material before the story. It would have been easy for Britain’s Got Bhangra to be a dull meditation on the immigrant experience with ciphers for characters. Instead, from the very first note we understand that we are safely in the land of the musical where the lead follows his dream to be a bhangra star, we have a fairy godmother, a brothers/family motif, Sophiya Haque’s cracking Yoko Ono-esque bad girl chewing up the set and happy ending just around the corner. We are at such a stage with new British musicals that it feels odd that so few get the basics right and offer their audience such a riotous night out.

The score is fleet and exciting, shifting between bhangra, funk, rap and musical fare. As it turns out, Bhangra is perfectly suited to life inside a musical. The pace never drops below the frenetic with simple staging and fluent direction. The chorus are very funny and all the leads sing beautifully as they inhabit their characters. Special praise to Natasha Lewis andArun Blair-Mangat for their adept handling of the slower tunes.

Britain’s Got Bhangra is comparable to that first blast of hot air when stepping out of the airport on holiday. By the 2nd encore the thing had gathered so much energy that they could have kept us dancing all night. Bloody bloody wonderful.

- Josh Tomalin

The review can be seen here: http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8831276078278&title=Britain’s+Got+Bhangra+(Tour+-+Oxford)&ref=D

Big-hearted: Rifco Arts’s Britain’s Got Bhangra is full of energy

Theatre Review Britain’s Got Bhangra

Fusion Triumph is at Number 1

British theatre and Indian music have fused to increasingly fruitful effect over the years, from savvy independent companies to the 2002 Andrew Lloyd Webber-produced extravaganza Bombay Dreams. Britain’s Got Bhangra is the latest production from British Asian collective Rifco Arts and it feels like a benchmark: a timely, big-hearted celebration of a British pop-culture scene that stems from folk roots and incorporates everything from synth-pop to hip hop.

The story might start out in rural Punjab – where romantic lead Twinkle (bhangra vocalist Shin, who made his name in 1980s outfit Desi Culture Shock) woos his bride Jussi (Natasha Lewis) – but it swiftly relocates to late-1970s Southall, as

Twinkle sets out to make his fortune, sweetly oblivious to the era’s racial tension (‘I’ve just got here and already I have to go back?’). As the years pass, Twinkle’s musical talents are seized upon by fierce businesswoman/diva Shindie (a wonderful Sophiya Haque) and bhangra music becomes top of the pops – or it would be, if its massive sales qualified for the mainstream charts.

The fantastically appealing multitasking ensemble summon the energy of a much bigger cast, delivering Bollywood choreographer Andy Kumar’s dance moves and Sumeet Chopra’s vivacious dhol-driven score with gusto; Rina Fatania particularly impresses as the feisty spirit of Twinkle’s beloved matriarch Bibiji.

This production has the same West End crossover potential as an earlier Stratford East triumph, The Big Life, but it really should be relished right now, at this brilliant London institution. As the show proudly points out, Britain’s Got Bhangra – and it has had for 30 years. Here’s to many decades more.

Arwa Haider

View the article here: http://e-edition.metro.co.uk/2010/05/06/?p=42

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.

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.

To see this review, click here: http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/28040/britains-got-bhangra