Bhangra Nation, Birmingham REP Review
Jena Pandya (Mary) and Iván Fernández González (Billy). Credit Craig SugdenReviewer - Katie
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Exploding onto the REP stage this month, Bhangra Nation is a brand new musical bursting with vitality, cultural richness, and a vibrant homage to music and dance. In the heart of the bustling Bhangra dance scene, two young Desi women clash over the direction of their beloved college dance team. Preeti, rooted in tradition, and Mary, a beacon of innovation, find themselves at odds, each fiercely advocating for their vision. When Mary makes the bold decision to break away and form a rival team, the stage is set for an epic showdown, igniting a tale of self-discovery and belonging.
Now, Bhangra is joyous by its very nature, serving traditionally as a means of expressing joy, unity, community spirit, and embodying the rich heritage and traditions of the Punjabi people. It is therefore almost impossible to create a show that didn’t bring this energy to the forefront of the stage. Rujuta Vaidya’s choreography was by far the highlight of this entire production, and brought together beautifully the distinctive characteristics of South Asian Dance, blending fusions of Kathak, Bollywood and more with the Bhangra foundation. It brought the show alive with a kaleidoscope of colours, rhythm and infectious beats, with a dynamic approach to storytelling. And just like the South Asian dancefloor, I loved that the performers also brought their own unique take to the movements, and amplified that message of individuality. A huge shout out has to go to Dance Captain Kuldeep Goswami, who you quite literally couldn’t tear your eyes away from every time he moved his body- a true master of his artform.
I particularly loved those big booming numbers which brought all the cast together at once in the act 1 and 2 finales, and the rehearsal room scene was a lovely and poignant moment allowing Mary to dance Kathak with her late mother through the mirrors (I just wish they hadn’t raised them and ruined the magic of that bit!).
Unfortunately, I was disappointed that the story itself did not come up to par with the dynamic and captivating choreography in the way it needed to. For me, the plot lacked originality- think Pitch Perfect and Bring It On mashed together and dropped into South Asia. A few more weeks in the development stage would have got the script to a better place to go deeper into the characters and given us less of a surface level as they came to terms with the sensitive subject of cultural identity. I can’t help but feel that the story also lacked any sort of real closure. It ended rather abruptly and too conveniently for the final message to be anything but cheesy.
Jena Pandya (Mary) and Siobhan Athwal (Sunita). Credit Craig SugdenI was also gutted that they didn’t use this moment to adapt the location of the story, having been re-developed for its UK premiere. It was a real missed opportunity to inject some local nuance and reference its origin, rather than remain American. More of a Brummie identity would have gone down a treat with its Brummie audiences, offering a relatability both for the audience itself and for the actors to connect to. It dropped in loads of Birmingham references, but for some reason, there we were in Michigan!
There were some stand out performances for sure within this show. Sohm Kapila (Rekha) singing Khaana Khaana gave the vibe of Conchita in Copacabana and I couldn’t get enough of her. Jena Pandya (Mary) and Zaynah Ahmed (Preeti) were 2 fantastic leading ladies, with vocals that blended beautifully in their duets, but also stood strong as soloists. The contrast and conflict between tradition and originality was super, and these two really represented their sides of the story well. Siobhan Athwal also brought a great strength to Sunita with an ambition and drive to aspire to. An inspirational hit of girl power with equally powerful vocals, she quickly became the driving force behind our hope for the characters.
Sam Willmotts music was slightly confusing at times, but on the whole it was great work. We had a huge variety of super traditional numbers like Ve Leja Mainu Pind Wal Tu (The Preeti Ballet) and then the next minute gave us the cheesy show tune that was Dot Dot Dot. There wasn’t always a through line that connected the musical numbers together, and it slightly lacked identity, but I enjoyed them nonetheless
There are not a great many mainstream shows which centre on Asian culture, especially in musical form, which is ultimately this show’s USP. So when a show this highly anticipated appears, there is always pressure to deliver. Although it might not have quite reached the bar in terms of story, it is undeniable that the show is a spectacle, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Overall, it was a mixed bag. The choreography is electrifying- contemporary flair navigated with dynamism and precision, while the storyline left something to be desired. It was quirky and colourful, and despite my qualms, there is no doubt you left that theatre smiling.
Bhangra Nation is at The Birmingham REP until Saturday 16th March.
☆ ☆ ☆
