Budda of Suburbia: Adapted by Hanif Kureishi and Emma Rice, from the novel by Hanif Kureishi, RSC, The Swan, Stratford Upon Avon.

5✩✩✩✩✩ Review : Roderick Dungate.

Runs: 3 h , one interval, till

AD Performance 2 June 2024

“Marvellous adaptation of a superb novel.”

Quereshi’s 1990 novel is a rich tapestry of the 1970s in the UK, seen through the eyes of his protagonist Karim, an adolescent English boy growing up in the London suburb of Bromley; Karim is mixed race, Indian-English. This adaptation is bold and muscular, important threads are removed from the original tapestry yet the tapestry remains as vibrant and telling as the original. The result is a theatre work that is totally true to its new form. The shifts in tone, from hilarious comedy and satire to the sad and moving are retained and played for all they are worth by this skilful company.

Dee Ahluwalia creates a cheeky chappie in Karim; he forges a strong direct bond with us from the get-go and maintains it throughout. But, in an instant, he can take us into his head, his mind, his heart, and share with us his confusions and struggles; we care a great deal about him.

Karim’s is a huge journey, an epic journey. So the episodes are painted in broad brush-strokes. The characters inch towards caricature, but these actors’ talents ensure they never quite reach that point. With Emma Rice’s characteristic wit and sensitive direction, there is an infectious ensemble feel; we too are enabled to relive the history. So, along with Karim’s growth we are reminded (or shown) the changing social history from Heath and Callaghan to the change of government in 1979.

Much of the narrative is told through episodes without dialogue; much credit here for the skills of the two Audio Describers; particularly when the more raunchy sex scenes are described with equally raunchy language.

Rachana Jadhav’s static, multi-levelled set assists in the narrative’s fast forward motion, often two complementary scenes happen at the same time.

The whole is tellingly framed as Karim begins with the end. The final scene returns at the end with great joy. But the joy is underpinned with the (now notorious) words of Margaret Thatcher: ‘Where there is discord may we bring harmony.’ There may be joy, then, in the final party scene, but the joy is precarious.

Having said that , Karim speaks an epilogue containing praise for the power and thrill of theatre. Quite right too, and in this case, totally well earned.

Cast

Karim – Dee Ahlauwalia

Harood – Amkur Bahl

Margaret/Eleanor – Bettrys Jones

Eva – Lucy Thackeray

Jamila – Natasha Jayetileke

Charlie/Shadwell – Tammy Belshaw

Jeeta/Tracey/Marlene – Rina Fatania

Anwar – Simon Rivers

Changez – Raj Bajaj

Matthew Pyke – Ewan Wardrop

Ensemble/cover – Deven Modha

Creatives

From the novel by Hanif Kureishi

Adapted by Emma Rice & Hanif Kureishi

Director – Emma Rice

Sets – Rachana Jadhav

Costumres – Vicki Mortimer

Sound & Video – Simon Baker

Lighting – Jai Mortimer

Composer – Niraj Chag

Choreagrapher – Etta Murfitt