Frankie Goes to Bollywood reaches the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's Southbank (to 13 August 2024) after a short, successful UK tour.
A Rifco Theatre Company production, it is a musical pastiche of the Bollywood genre.
As such it offers an affectionate, often lampooning and not uncritical take on the outrageous musical extravagance that is Bollywood.
Bollywood refers to the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India.
It's production-line output is based on churning out spectacularly colourful films that combine romance, action, comedy with drama based around hugely elaborate musical numbers.
And while the storylines tend to champion love, family values, social issues, and morality, this is in sharp contrast with the reality of Indian society, which is misogynous.
The Rifco Theatre Company is known for staging new plays and musicals that reflect and celebrate British South Asian culture.
Frankie goes to Bollywood, its new musical, draws on real stories of British women who have experienced Bollywood first hand and is the company's most ambitious musical to date.
And the Queen Elizabeth Hall is an excellent choice for its London premier.
A large auditorium, the tiered seating, relatively small stage and excellent acoustics gives it a more intimate feel, which eminently suits this production.
It sees Frankie plucked from a supposedly mundane London life, whisked to Mumbai and able to achieve her life ambition of becoming a Bollywood star, something her mother failed to do.
But at what cost?
The musical takes us through Frankie's dilemma via a flow of vibrant song and dance routines and genuinely funny interludes.
This is particularly so in the interactions between Laila Zaidi as Frankie and Katie Stasi as Goldie, who both excel; Gigi Zahir as the camp impresario Shona and Geet Sagar as 'pantomime' villain Raju King.
a staging that is full of colour that conjures up the essence of the Bollywood genre.
The relatively small ensemble are excellent in filling the stage during the song and dance routines that do create the essence of Bollywood, particularly when packed by a tremendous band.
And while this is a vibrant, colourful, funny production, Frankie goes to Bollywood is still able to cast a spotlight on the failings of India's misogynous society, where women are often demeaned and physically and sexually abused.
Frankie Goes to Bollywood runs at the Royal Festival Hall on London's Southbank until 13 August 2024,
https://www.rifcotheatre.com/live-shows/frankie-goes-to-bollywood
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/performance-dance/frankie-goes-bollywood
London's Southbank
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The Southbank generally is a dynamic part of London with a continuous walkway besides the Thames and street entertainers.
A major tourist area of London it has :
The Southbank Centre
A major arts complex hosting performances, exhibitions, and festivals and that takes in the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and the Hayward Gallery.
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The National Theatre
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Useful links
https://www.rifcotheatre.com/live-shows/frankie-goes-to-bollywood
https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/performance-dance/frankie-goes-bollywood