JOURNEY TO THE WEST, Verma, touring
JOURNEY TO THE WEST: Jatinder Verma
Tara Arts: Touring: Details www.journeytothewest.co.uk
Trilogy of Three Full-Length Plays: DHOWS, DESERTS AND DIRTY TRICKS: RIFTS, REFUGEES, AND RIVERS OF BLOOD: BHANGRA, BOLLYWOOD AND BRITISH BULLDOGS
Review: Ranjit Khutan, Birmingham Rep, 27th April 2002
Flavour, depth and colour in a wide ranging feast.
‘A feast for the senses’ is what we were told to expect, and Tara Arts, under the direction of Jatinder Verma, delivers this promise. JOURNEY TO THE WEST is a trilogy of plays that tells the story of Britain’s 100+ year relationship with South Asians, portraying the human cost of moving from India, into Africa and then Britain.
The feast begins with a famine – for DHOWS, DESERTS AND DIRTY TRICKS we are in India at the turn of the nineteenth century. The land is parched and crops are failing. Fateh, Allaudin and Mehta are forced to leave and take the offer of ‘5 rupees and 5 acres of land’ to seek their fortunes in British East Africa building the first railroads. In Ravin Ganatra's moving performance as Fateh we share the emotions that people felt in search of a better life as economic migrants.
Fateh’s wife sits in the corner of the stage, throughout, a reminder of family and roots in India – we often forget she's there but then we hear the noise of her grinding the 2 ears of corn she was given before they left.
Part two of the trilogy RIFTS, REFUGEES AND RIVERS OF BLOOD (there is a clever twist on Enoch Powell's phrase as the play closes) follows the lives of the descendents of the characters in the first play. In the late 1960s Ranjit, Sita and Liquat dance, enjoying life in Africa. This upbeat start doesn’t last for long when they are suddenly wrenched from the ‘red African earth’ through the introduction of ‘kenyianisation.’ They decide to move to Britain – Ranjit asks why they don’t go back to India – his mother replies ‘when you walk do you walk backwards?’
We learn that one couple spent three months travelling from airport to airport: ideas of eviction still bring fear to Asians today. The play juxtaposes comedy with tragedy and an uncomfortable but potent mix of people's real experiences. Maurali Menon plays the comic in all three parts but here he shines as Bob – a likeable character that moves you between the comic and tragic worlds.
The script provides laughs but also packs some powerful punches: the most powerful being that newcomers are not easily welcomed to this country – we see it still with refugees and asylum seekers.
BHANGRA, BOLLYWOOD AND BRITISH BULLDOGS is more surreal than the other parts, we follow Kam on a journey up the M1. It’s a voyage of discovery and reflection of identity, empathising with the young of today and our need to understand our history.
Jatinder Verma uses the space well in Claudia Mayer's flexible and economic designs. Actors climb ropes, stretch the cloth around their bodies, dance, and speak several languages. All this interspersed with a multi layered script that catalogues history with accuracy and live singing from the cast and Najma Akhtar.
You might think the combination would be too much but like any Asian feast a little bit of everything provides flavour, depth and colour.
Part One:
Dina Mousawi: Amar, Mijiza
Mamata Kash: Vira
Najma Akhtar: Singer, Sayyad
Ashvin Joshi: Mehta, Patterson
Murali Menon: Sutradhar, Allaudhin
Ravin Ganatra: Fateh
Saikat Ahamed: Ishwar
Part Two
Dina Mousawi: Sita (younger)
Mamata Kash: Daljeet
Najma Akhtar: Singer
Ashvin Joshi: Liaquat
Murali Menon: Nadeera, ‘Bob’
Ravin Ganatra: Ranjit
Saikat Ahamed: Asha, Reg
Part Three
Dina Mousawi: Shiraz
Mamata Kash: Sita (older)
Najma Akhtar: Singer
Ashvin Joshi: Richard, Rafiq
Murali Menon: Saladin, Cook
Ravin Ganatra: Kamaal (Kam)
Saikat Ahamed: Art (Pete)
Director: Jatinder Verma
Design: Claudia Mayer
Lighting: Ben Ormerod
Sound: Scott George and Fergus O’Hare, Aura Sound
Aerial design: Roger Robinson and Claire Anderson, Acrobat Productions
2002-05-07 16:58:58