Pravesh Kumar, Niraj Chag and Tasha Taylor Johnson
Rifco Theatre Company, HOME and Watford Palace Theatre co-production
HOME Manchester
May 15-25, 2024; 2hrs 35 mins
(also Bradford Alhambra, June 18-22)
HOME Manchester has branched out into Bollywood. Frankie Goes to Bollywood is a small-scale take on standard Bollywood entertainment, with an updated style encompassing the perils of stardom and the role it affords to women.
Along with the modern, verging on "me too" elements, there is plenty of recognisable Bollywood left to enjoy. Songs, vibrant, energetic dancing and a thread of romance, longing and resolution run through the show, enhanced by amazing costumes and committed performances.
Frankie [Laila Zaidi], from Milton Keynes, takes her name and style from her mixed Anglo-Indian heritage – her love of Bollywood from her mother, and her underlying, funky can-do attitude from facing up to local racists and being supported by her sister/cousin Goldi [Katie Stasi]. Initially insecure and lonely, her latent acting, singing and dancing skills are discovered by visiting director Prem [Navin Kundra] and she is transported to the land of her dreams – Bollywood, Mumbai.
Is it everything she has wished for? Well, it’s mixed, of course. Frankie storms the Bollywood world and rapidly ascends the dizzy heights to become one of its biggest stars. But, cuddled by luxury and support and undermined by rivalry and male exploitation, she begins to question whether this life is for her.
The performances of the six lead characters are strong, while the remaining cast of dancers double up in the small rolls to considerable effect.
Helen K Wint as Frankies’s main rival, Malika, sings beautifully and traverses the turns of her character with ease. Navin Kundra, as Prem, confidently conveys the young director trying to change the path of his industry. Shakil Hussain shines as the over-confident star Raju King (RK). Drag artist Gigi Zahir is outstanding as the choreographer who can do anything else required of him, and his repeated entrances in yet another costume bring a guaranteed lift to proceedings that I don’t think I’ve seen since the days of the great pantomime dames at Oldham Coliseum. Katie Stasi’s strongly-voiced Goldi is another character who successfully punctuates the show with strength and presence.
But the star is undoubtedly Laila Zaidi as Frankie. She’s beautiful. She can act. She can sing. Her dancing is graceful yet sassy.
The show benefits from superb design, largely based on Indian arches, by Rebecca Brower. The dancing is energetic, powerful and varied, and the costumes are all you would expect and more. HOME has never seen so many jewels...
There are times when the show flags, particularly during the second act when you think you know how it’s all going to turn out. But there’s a twist, and it all comes back to lively life with a look to the future.
Watford-based Rifco Theatre Company celebrates and reflects contemporary British Asian experiences, culture and society, and claims its success lies in understanding its audience.
Certainly on press night, which opened in the foyer with an exciting dance display, a number of Bollywood fans were present and the audience was more diverse than I’ve previously seen at HOME.
Rifco does an excellent job in straddling the ground as both lover and critic of Bollywood. At times I was reminded of Hollywood’s gentle self-criticism, as seen for example in Singin’ in the Rain.
Of course Bollywood doesn’t have to come to England to change with the times; far from it. But when it does, it will be good to see more.
More info and tickets here
