Starring: Dee Ahluwalia, Ankur Bahl, Tommy Belshaw, Rina Fatania, Natasha Jayetileke, Naveed Khan, Deven Modha, Katy Owen, Simon Rivers, Lucy Thackeray, Ewan Wardrop
Writer: Hanif Kureishi; Director: Emma Rice
An award-winning novel capturing the Indian immigrant experience in south London in the 1970s being adapted for the stage is no mean feat. But this Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) production makes for a triumphant staging of ‘The Buddha of Surbubia’ in the hands of the inventive Emma Rice.
Karim (Ahluwalia) is a confused teen finding his place within a rather hostile milieu of suburban London as an “Englishman born and bred, almost”. When his father Haroon (Bahl) takes to using his contortionist experiments for more than just yoga and falls in love with the alluring Eva (Thackeray), Karim is torn between loyalty towards his mother Margaret (Owen) and his own attraction to Eva’s charmingly aloof son Charlie (Belshaw).
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Like any teenager consumed by hormones and a selfish quest for adventure, Karim uses the home of uncle Anwar (Khan) and aunty Jeeta (Fatania) as his refuge away from an increasingly unhappy home. His deep bond with their daughter Jamila (Jayetileke) proves a welcome distraction for both. As the cultural compulsion of being forced into an unhappy arranged marriage to Changez (Rivers) complicates matters for Jamila, Karim finds himself being lured by an egotistical theatre director Mathew Pyke (Wardrop) to fulfil his dreams to make it as an actor.
All this unfolds against the backdrop of a rising anti-immigrant tide and far-right attacks by the National Front, forcing Karim to face up to the harsh realities of life as an adult. Will he be able to fulfil his dreams in this increasingly volatile world or will circumstances overtake him?
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The sheer joyfulness of the staging of this complex production deserves the biggest applause. Whether it is the clever use of party poppers and confetti or puppets and lighting, the overall effect is one of an extremely merry immersive experience for the audience. Some of the tough subject matter and its resonance in 2024 hits home effectively but is never allowed to dampen the mood.
This London staging, on at the Barbican only until mid-November, is one that deserves a far extended run.