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Tara Theatre, London
Writer: Vivek Nityananda
Director: Natasha Kathi-Chandra
Cast: Taraash Mehrotra, Tanya Kaytal, Nusrath Tapadar, Amy Allen
Dates of run: Until November 29
Running time: Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
As the nation is riven by Brexit and bitter arguments rage over immigration, the power of theatre to tackle the most divisive subjects in a non-confrontational way has never been more vital.
Tara Theatre, founded in 1977, has for decades staged bravely political drama and claims to be the country’s “only theatre focusing exclusively on South Asian artists and stories”.
That makes it the perfect venue for Vivek Nityananda’s satirical, hilarious, ultimately troubling take on the response of two gay Indian immigrants to the pursuit of indefinite leave to remain.
Like the rest of society, they become divided, as the woman Jyoti, played by the vivacious Tanya Kaytal, finds the man she thought was her best friend is not as aligned with her as she thought.
They diverge over her supposed determination to return to India and fight for gay rights there, while her friend Nikhil (Taraash Mehrotra) wants to stay in Britain on the premise its safer.
The unlikely genie who emerges to answer his wish is Amy Allen as a ridiculously convincing Home Secretary Theresa May, who takes Nikhil through the ten steps to “deserving” the right to remain, which are simply and effectively represented by Erin Guan’s set.
Under the direction of Natasha Kathi-Chandra, Mehrotra’s agile Nikhil gradually becomes more and more stereotypically British and less Indian, down to exclaiming “crickey”, pronouncing “cup of tea” the British way and being comically polite.
While Jyoti is reluctant to believe this can possibly be the real Nikhil, her lover Noor (Nusrath Tapadar) is quicker to judge and another division opens up; this time between a pro-European British Indian and the pro-leave Jyoti.
The skill of the production is in its gradual unfolding of the complexity and contradictions of identity and nationality and the resultant politics.
We laugh heartily and therapeutically. Our only sorrow is that beyond the safe space of the theatre, the problems persist.
I Dream of Theresa May
Tara Theatre, London
Writer: Vivek Nityananda
Director: Natasha Kathi-Chandra
Cast: Taraash Mehrotra, Tanya Kaytal, Nusrath Tapadar, Amy Allen
Dates of run: Until November 29
Running time: Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes
As the nation is riven by Brexit and bitter arguments rage over immigration, the power of theatre to tackle the most divisive subjects in a non-confrontational way has never been more vital.
Tara Theatre, founded in 1977, has for decades staged bravely political drama and claims to be the country’s “only theatre focusing exclusively on South Asian artists and stories”.
That makes it the perfect venue for Vivek Nityananda’s satirical, hilarious, ultimately troubling take on the response of two gay Indian immigrants to the pursuit of indefinite leave to remain.
Like the rest of society, they become divided, as the woman Jyoti, played by the vivacious Tanya Kaytal, finds the man she thought was her best friend is not as aligned with her as she thought.
They diverge over her supposed determination to return to India and fight for gay rights there, while her friend Nikhil (Taraash Mehrotra) wants to stay in Britain on the premise its safer.
The unlikely genie who emerges to answer his wish is Amy Allen as a ridiculously convincing Home Secretary Theresa May, who takes Nikhil through the ten steps to “deserving” the right to remain, which are simply and effectively represented by Erin Guan’s set.
Under the direction of Natasha Kathi-Chandra, Mehrotra’s agile Nikhil gradually becomes more and more stereotypically British and less Indian, down to exclaiming “crickey”, pronouncing “cup of tea” the British way and being comically polite.
While Jyoti is reluctant to believe this can possibly be the real Nikhil, her lover Noor (Nusrath Tapadar) is quicker to judge and another division opens up; this time between a pro-European British Indian and the pro-leave Jyoti.
The skill of the production is in its gradual unfolding of the complexity and contradictions of identity and nationality and the resultant politics.
We laugh heartily and therapeutically. Our only sorrow is that beyond the safe space of the theatre, the problems persist.
Barbara Lewis.
By Barbara Lewis • added recently on London Grip, comedy, plays, theatre • Tags: Barbara Lewis, comedy, plays, theatre