Phizzical bring this glittering musical to Ipswich, it’s about love, betrayal, revenge and set in the golden age of Bollywood cinema which means anything can happen.
This is the story of a young girl who went to Bombay to find help from her father after her mother passed away and left her alone with nothing. Getting to Bombay she finds that her father is a movie producer and wangles her way into the Bollywood scene in the 70s. She knows she must become outspoken and assertive to make it in the industry so she becomes Laila and her career starts blooming.
Laila shares the screen with the new hero Sirkander and their on-screen chemistry makes very popular films. However, their off-screen chemistry is developing and there is trouble ahead which threatens to destroy all their careers. Can they keep their secrets or will Pammi, the celebrity gossip reporter find the truth and go public. In the meantime, Vicky, a fading star is killed off in his latest film, filled with revenge he plots to sabotage all involved however it seems everyone will do what it takes to be the star, which includes murder!
There are quite a few interlinking storylines and this is over 15 years so it jogs along quickly and is a little disjointed in parts. However, there is love, love triangles, unrequited love, there is betrayal, there is revenge, deception, denial, determination – almost everything is thrown in and they still have time to pack the show with upbeat tracks and plenty of dancing.
The acting is in English and the songs are in Hindi, with subtitles on the screen, which is useful to the audience, however the feel of the song enables you to understand its context. The Hindi singing was wonderful, with two main singers whose voices were utterly delightful.
The cast were good, full of warmth and fun, it was a joy to watch them perform. Cast: Nisha Aaila, Rav Moore, Pia Sutaria, Robby Khela, Chirag Rao, Amar, Sheetal Pandya, Yanick Ghanty, Aaron Mistry.
There were iconic Bollywood songs in this performance, this was noted by the experienced Bollywood audience members gasping with glee and clapping as the certain songs started playing. It was a pleasure to see how this music delighted the audience.
It was an evening of glitzy colourful costumes, fabulous music, romance and melodrama from the 70s Bollywood era. It was lovely to experience Bollywood music and south Asian performances.
This review appereared on GrapevineLIVE
Links
New Wolsey
Phizzical