I was happy to see Anneika Rose playing female lead Rani, after having previously seen her in the 2008 (was it really that long ago??) RSC production of Romeo and Juliet. I was also pleasantly surprised to realise Ray Panthaki, who played Ronny in Eastenders, and Vincent Ebrahim, who was of course Ashwin in The Kumars at Number 42, were both in it too- it is always fun to see actors you recognise treading the boards before you!
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| Anneika Rose and Ray Panthaki as Rani and Hari Photo Credit: The RSC- Steve Tanner, from rsc.org.uk |
I have to say that the acting standard was supberb. I managed not to cry like a baby at the ending, but I was certainly welling up with the emotion the fabulous, believable, acting brought to me. Combined with fairly minimal effects; live music played by musicians located around the theatre; songs from the cast, which provided great, touching and relevant audio and a great set, it combined to really drive home the feelings and seriousness of the plot.
Tanika Gupta wrote the original play and did something that I absolutely love, in novels too, by combining two different plotlines and major viewpoints, and having them run parallel to one another. Our first viewpoint, from Rani herself, is a depiction of the treatment of Indian Ayah's in Victorian Britain. These were young women coming from India (part of the British Empire at the time, of course) who helped to look after the children of more wealthy families. Unfortunately Rani experienced a plight that apparently happened to many, by being dismissed by her employers straight off the boat at Tillsbury Docks and finding herself lost and alone in London. After friend/ romantic interest, and crew member from the boat, Hari managed to find her accomodation for the night at Sally's (a character who ceratinly provides the vibrancy that runs through much of the later play), Rani then finds her life being catapulted forwards into the deeply unknown and we follow a fairly harrowing tale at times, without it being too depressing or heavy in tone.
Our other main character is Abdul Karim, Queen Victoria's servant and then 'Munshi' (teacher)- who remained a loyal companion to her and forged a strong bond. Karim is a real historical figure, who is represented here, and it is engrossing to hear his story and see a side of Queen Victoria that many may not know existed. The play is set over the final 15 years of the Queen's reign and takes in the highs and lows, as well as the deep friction her relationship with Karim caused amongst the royal household. Gupta cleverly tied the storylines together, having Abdul and Rani arrive on the same boat, and we eventually come full circle for a very touching final sequence.
It sounds like a serious play from what I have written, but it is full of life and vibrancy too. There is a strong focus on human connection and relationships and this is celebrated, coming to a final hurrah with a beautiful scene, filled with flower garlands, tikka tape and lit origami boats being floated out onto small patches of water surrounding the stage. It is a full singing and dancing production, with sets varying from the elegant royal household, right down to a 'rat infested, smelly' inn, of sorts, owned by Sally, where the regulars are close knit and boisterous. Showing varying sides of London and two, different, yet remarkably similar, experiences of Indian immigrants within the time period, the contrast provides a wonderful array of situations and much love, laughter and heartbreak throughout. There is a well rounded cast of characters as support roles as well, who allow extra experiences from Indian immigrants to be brought to attention too.
Built upon the set of a boat, with pools of water and boards making up the stage, the staging was fantastic and well thought through. The use of a large white sheet as a sail, in some scenes, and screen to project various images onto in others, was an inspired touch and allowed the transformations that were needed between Rani and Abdul to be seamless and easy. Another interesting touch was the use of coat hangers, carried by cast members and topped with bonnets, showcasing boys' and girls' outfits, as the children Rani often encountered. This meant children did not needed to be added to the cast, but also gave a strange, unnerving at first, but good effect in the process.
Overall I loved the play and left feeling very contented and glad I had taken a random decision to book, off the chance encounter with another review. The play finishes it's run on Saturday May 4th, and does not seem to be moving on to anywhere else from my Google researching, which is a real shame, as I would have loved to have taken my best friend or boyfriend to see it too. If you do happen to spot it coming to a theatre near you though, then I definitely recommend it. It was a lovely and memorable night, which actually taught me something too.
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