Simon Ward reviews Frankie Goes To Bollywood at the Queen Elizabeth Hall

My first exposure to Bollywood was in the late 1980s as I tried to block out the garish colours and blaring noise from the TV sets supposedly designed to while away the boredom of a long bus journey in India. Since then I have been dimly aware of the genre, and its growth into a major global industry, but no more than that. Suffice to say, therefore, that I am not be in the core target demographic for this show. This is a south Asian show targeted at a south Asian audience steeped in a Bollywood culture, and with enough knowledge of Hindi to recognise it being spoken badly. Yet it is not at all exclusive – it blends a satirical take on the nepotistic world it portrays with a West-End-friendly soundtrack of catchy tunes and uplifting storylines. It’s feelgood but not vacuous, and challenging but not aggressive. It comes from a place of love for the pleasures and escapism that the Bollywood movies provide, but is not afraid to confront their mysognistic and simplistic storylines.

The show is also a way into exploring the relationship between the south Asian diaspora in the UK and the culture of their parents and grandparents. For our heroine, Frankie (Laila Zaidi), Bollywood is a nostalgic reminder of her Maa (Helen K Wint) – they bonded over a shared love of the movies but when Maa dies (or rather, ‘disappears into the movies’) Frankie is stuck clinging on to fantasies of the past. Together with best friend Goldy (Katie Stasi) they dream of leaving their dead end jobs behind to make it on the big screen. But when she finally gets the chance to do so, Frankie has to learn the hard way that real life does not measure up to the fantasy portrayed on screen.

This is very much a show of two halves – the first act is full of youthful hope, expectation and excitement, the second shows the cynical reality kicking in. The dark underbelly of Bollywood success is revealed as corrupt, decadent and shallow. Friendships and relationships are struck up with one aim only – personal advancement. As soon as you are no longer useful, compliant or youthful enough you will be discarded. Embodying the headlong rush to grab-everything-going-while-you-can is the utterly convincing multi-tasker Shona (Gigi Zahir, last seen by me in another standout performance at the King’s Head in Fame Whore). And highlighting the obessive simulation of youth and subordination of women is Raju King (Geet Sagar). Representing a possible rehabilitation and renewal of the genre is the young and idealistic director Prem (Navin Kundra), whose novel ideas are, of course, subordinated to the demands of producer and star.

If this all sounds rather formulaic, well, it is, up to a point. There is certainly an air of panto, goodies and baddies, and a little bit of slapstick fun. But writer/director Parvesh Kumar just about manages to have his cake and eat it too. He celebrates the fun, glamour and artistry of the Bollywood world while also upending our expectations about what a happy ending should look like. In the end the show is an irresistible celebration of friendship, family and fun, full of joy and laughter.

Frankie Goes To Bollywood runs at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX until Sunday 18th August