Bhangra Nation – A New Musical

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EP

To 16 March 2024

5✩✩✩✩✩ Review: Written by Joanna Jarvis – 28 Feb. 2023​

“Joyful and exhilarating with emotional depth”.

This joyful musical opens at a Bhangra competition on an American college campus. The T.I.G.R.E.S. team from East Lansing University dance their energetic and colourful competition routine. They are supported by a live band and whoops of joy from the audience as they win through to the National finals. A rousing start to the evening.

The excitement of ‘going to the Nationals’ and the need to step up a notch exposes tensions within the group. A chance remark by the fiercely determined Preeti, played by Zaynah Ahmed, to the sensitive and troubled Mary, Jena Pandya, sees Mary storming out to start her own team. The stage is set for an exploration of the innate tensions present for any traditional art form – to stay true to the original concept or develop with the times and changing locations.

It is the story of two teams. Preeti clings to the traditional Bhangra forms of the Pujab with the experienced T.I.G.R.E.S., who long to break free. Mary auditions a scratch team of college misfits, inexperienced but willing to try anything. She is encouraged by her radical roommate Sunita, played by Siobhan Athwal. However, these are college kids, struggling to find their own identities. Trying to balance family values from a different culture alongside the society they are growing up in. The underlying love story, comically and sensitively told, gives emotional depth to the show. Mary finds that Billy, played by Iván Fernández González, is struggling with his own Latin American identity.

This is an ensemble piece, carefully cast to celebrate cultural differences. It is brilliantly choreographed by Rujuta Vaidya, with skilful and exuberant dancing by the company. Through several set pieces we experience the breadth of South Asian dance forms, suffused with moments of hip-hop and musical theatre. Mary dances a beautiful and emotional routine, channelling the ghostly presence of her mother, a kathak dancer. Later a Bollywood sequence gives us all the power and force of the film studio. Michael Taylor’s flexible set opens to reveal the soft skies of the Punjab, beautifully lit by Nick Richings, as Preeti dreams of her family’s village.

The second half opens with a fabulous on-stage drumming sequence, adding to the power of the live music. Linda Cho’s costumes allow the college students to display their differences, especially for Sunita. She also makes full use of the vibrant colours associated with Bhangra and this is particularly evident in the rousing final number.

The musical may have originated in America, but Bhangra Nation feels at home in Birmingham. Although this could have been taken further, as there is a lively Bhangra scene in UK universities. Within the structure of a classic show, director Stafford Arima, and writers Rehana Lew Mirza and Mike Lew give us a joyful celebration of dance from the sub-continent, with a sharp, witty script and characters of emotional depth.

Cast

Zaynah Ahmed – Preeti

Gregory Armand – Jake

Siobhan Athwal – Sunita

Tia Antoine-Charles – Lily

Lydia Danistan – Shilpa

Kyle Evans – Noah

Iván Fernández González – Billy

Kuldeep Goswami – Mohan and Dance Captain

Bob Harms – Wallace

Raimu Itfum – Varun

Romaya Jey – Swing

Sophie Kandola – New Mary

Sohm Kapila – Rekha

Arysha Kelly – Shetal

Ai Kumar – Constance

Aaron Mistry – Swing

Mervin Noronha – Amit

Jena Pandya – Mary

Ajay Sahota – Gobind

Edward Turner – Swing

Leo Udvarlaky – Just Bob

Creatives

Director – Stafford Arima

Choreographer – Rujuta Vaidya

Set Designer – Michael Taylor

Costume Designer – Linda Cho

Lighting Designer – Nick Richings

Sound Designer – Adam Fisher

Projection Designer – David Bengali