Review: BRING ON THE BOLLYWOOD, York Theatre Royal

Samir Bharma's Bring On The Bollywood promises an evening of 'theatrical magic and an innate sense of fun' in this tale of romance, culture and the generation gap in modern India.

The story follows the complex relationships between a group of interconnected adults, from various backgrounds. Their paths unexpectedly cross at the Lakshman Villa, home of Colonel and Mrs Pawar. Desperate to find a suitable husband for their daughter Katrina, the parents find themselves interwoven into the stories of the various adults, going to extreme lengths to achieve their dreams of finding their daughter what is defined as a successful marriage in their culture.

However, the acting in this production is disappointing: delivery is flat, making it difficult for the audience to emotionally invest in the story. The story itself also seems slightly repetitive and unoriginal, although there are thought-provoking moments that shed light on the cultural differences between Britain and India today.

Humour is interwoven throughout the performance, although many of these moments seem forced and unnatural. However, excellent comedic performances are given by Rohit Gokani as Colonel Pawar and Sakuntala Ramanee as Mrs Pawar, whose references to modern social media and the 'protein shake' gym culture on Instagram provide some much-needed light relief.

Choreographed by Dr Leena Patel, Sonia Sabri and Subhash Viman, the Bollywood dance scenes are also effective in breaking up the story. The movement provides nice visual moments, and strike an interesting balance between classical technique and more of a modern fusion, helping to keep the audience engaged. The ensemble gives a clean performance and all demonstrate excellent stage presence, with Emiko Jane Ishii in particular standing out as a strong dancer.

It's the technical elements of the production that really steal the show. Richard Evans' set design is visually stunning and effective in portraying the setting, as is the lighting design and special effects by Pete Bragg. The costumes are beautiful - culturally appropriate and also dazzling on stage. Samir Bharma should be commended for that.

Although there are highlights, the story of Bring On The Bollywood and the acting are unfortunately poor. However, the show provides interesting dance content, supported by wonderful visual effects and a distinctive Bollywood soundtrack likely to appeal to those who enjoy this genre.

Bring On The Bollywood at York Theatre Royal until 15 July

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