The Public Reviews at WYP 4 1/2 STARS!
Posted on July 14, 2010 under News, Reviews. 1 Comment
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 ... Click here to continue reading “The Public Reviews at WYP 4 1/2 STARS!”Culture Vulture Review-Britain’s Got Bhangra
Posted on under News, Reviews. 1 Comment
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 ... Click here to continue reading “Culture Vulture Review-Britain’s Got Bhangra”BREAK DA FLOORBOARDS! CHAK DE PHATTE!
Posted on July 11, 2010 under News. No Comments
BOOK NOW FOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY! WEDNESDAY 21ST AND THURSDAY 22ND JULY 2010 @ THE WEST WING, SLOUGH FROM 7.30pm RIFCO ARTS NEW WORKING DEVELOPMENT DANCE DRAMA: ‘BREAK DA FLOORBOARDS!’ Come and support Slough’s dancing stars of the future in Rifco Arts development dance drama ‘Break Da Floorboads!’ Rifco Arts in association with Creative Academy are developing an urban bhangra dance performance showing at the West Wing Arts Centre, Stoke Road, SLOUGH, SL2 5AY for two nights only. So come and support Slough's performers of the future on the 21st and 22nd July 2010 at the West Wing. Performance starts at 7.30pm on both nights. Tickets cost £5 and FREE for Students and under 16s All tickets need to be booked via the Rifco Arts office on 01753 570 700, free tickets for students and under 16s still need to be booked through ... Click here to continue reading “BREAK DA FLOORBOARDS! CHAK DE PHATTE!”Yet another 5 star review!
Posted on June 22, 2010 under News, Reviews. 3 Comments
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 ... Click here to continue reading “Yet another 5 star review!”Britain’s Got Bhangra Official Merchandise!
Posted on June 18, 2010 under News, Updates. No Comments
BRITAIN'S GOT BHANGRA OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE!
Hoodies £15
Male & Female T-Shirts £8
Bags £5
Available in sizes S, M, L and XL. Please add £1.99 for p+p Contact us on 01753570700 or email us at info@rifcoarts.com.
Click here to continue reading “Britain’s Got Bhangra Official Merchandise!”“An enthralling, bilingual, musical extravaganza”
Posted on June 2, 2010 under Reviews. No Comments
by Debra Hall for remotegoat on 29/05/10 * * * * * Rifco Arts have really pulled something special from the bag with this production. I know the communication team were recently seeking help with publicity in and around the Warwick Arts Centre. Now, having seen the show, I really think they have something to shout from the rooftops about. Where do I begin with this? This is totally unique in regard to anything I have experienced in theatre to date. It is an education, an exciting, funny, yet poignant journey through British Bhangra history. This is the finest example of a collaboration of many talents; the music and the singing and dancing, all aspects of theatre work in particular the writing of this wonderful theme and the quality of the directing. The set design is superb. The concept has been three years in the making. The Asian cast has been expertly sourced and have come together ... Click here to continue reading ““An enthralling, bilingual, musical extravaganza””Britain’s got Bhangra – Metro Review 5 STARS!*****
Posted on May 14, 2010 under News, Reviews. No Comments
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 ... Click here to continue reading “Britain’s got Bhangra – Metro Review 5 STARS!*****”The Stage Review
Posted on May 5, 2010 under News, Reviews. No Comments
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 ... Click here to continue reading “The Stage Review”
