'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' review: A joyous, nostalgic spectacle
The production is a dazzling, bombastic affair filled with the all-too familiar music and songs
By Roshan DougMar 08, 2025
**** (four stars out five)
Ian Fleming’s name is, of course, synonymous with the fictitious spy, 007. But what might surprise some is that he was also the author of the children’s musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, starring Dick van Dyke, filmed in 1968 and produced by the late Albert Broccoli - the owner of the James Bond franchise.
Like the film, the current production - directed by Thom Southerland at the Birmingham Hippodrome - is a similar, splendid, joyous experience.
It stars Ore Oduba as Caractacus Potts, with a strong performance from Ellie Nunn as Truly Scrumptious. The latter provides a particularly powerful voice that will ring in my ears for quite some time. The dancers are incredible; the Potts children are a delight to watch, and Grandpa Potts (Liam Potts) was just eccentric, colonial and comical in equal measures.
The production is a dazzling, bombastic affair filled with the all-too familiar music and songs, accompanied by some excellent choreography, thanks to Karen Bruce.
The dances are lively and energetic as one would expect from Oduba (he was previously in Strictly), but Southerland also adds some timely touches that gives it a veneer of contemporaneity – even if the actual story is set around 1906-1909.
All in all, it is a delightful experience, inducing – for people of a certain age at least – a combination of wistfulness, sentimentality and nostalgia.
It transports audiences almost effortlessly to their childhood. Who wasn’t scared out of their pants by the nimble, creepy performance of Robert Helpmann as The Child Catcher? If that’s not enough, there’s also a lot of exciting – very dramatic and unexpected – noise of cannons.
My only reservation with this production is the use of Charlie Brooks (of Eastenders fame), who gave a lacklustre performance as The Child Catcher. Surly she could have done a better job than just walking on stage dressed like a cross between a New Romantic/Goth?
That said, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang might be a children’s classic fantasy, but does it offer anything to adults in the first quarter of the 21st century? Does it speak to us and our concerns?
In many ways it does.
I would concede that the piece might not be an entirely accurate representation of the post-war period. But it does sort of act as social documentation of the late 1960s. It reflects the psychological state of Britain as it embarks on the road to student sit-ins, flower power generation, and the looming entry into the European Economic Community.
And it still resonates with us and our world today. Like the original, this adaptation is littered with tacit references to national and cultural identity, foreigners, liberty, dictatorship, and internment. It echoes a certain form of European fascism with which Britain was familiar and from which she was recovering.
It depicts our country’s concern with European politics that segregated undesirable people – in this case, children. But, like all good theatre, it also holds a mirror to entertainment – and in a good humoured way, pokes fun at our own cultural traits and stereotypes.
It concludes with the politically fashionable mantra that teamwork makes a dream work.
Essentially, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Birmingham Hippodrome is a very satisfying and a jolly entertaining production that’s well worth seeing.
A NEW play explores the issues faced by this current generation of immigrants and questions the definitions of freedom and liberation, its playwright has said.
Permission, written and co-produced by Hunia Chawla, casts a questioning eye on the trope of ‘the oppressed Muslim woman’ and examines the links between patriarchy, protest, and the global political order.
In an interview with Eastern Eye, Chawla said, “There are not many voices of contemporary immigrants in today’s world. The immigrant stories we hear are from the 1950s and 1970s.
“There is not much discussion taking place, and I believe it is an important discussion to have, given everything that is happening in the world. What is the role of protest? Who gets to decide what freedom is? This tension between the West and the East that we often observe offers a new way of looking at these issues.”
Through the stories of Hanna (played by Anisa Butt) and Minza (Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar), the 70-minute play, which moves between a Heathrow immigration queue and a rooftop in Karachi, explores themes such as friendship, sisterhood, identity politics, and state violence.
“I believe this trope (the oppressed Muslim woman) holds significant importance because it is frequently employed to justify numerous oppressive measures against people from the global south, Muslims, and specific nations,” Chawla, who is in her late 20s pointed out.
“Consider, for instance, the situation in Afghanistan. There exists considerable outcry regarding the Taliban, and quite rightly so, as they are indeed oppressive towards women. However, the response to this oppression is the assertion that “we must save Afghans from the Taliban,” which then leads to sending weapons and dropping bombs on that very country under the guise of liberation. One ends up killing the same people one purports to liberate, and the irony of this situation is not lost on observers
“Similarly, regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, much of the propaganda centres on the claim that all Palestinians are oppressive towards women and gender minorities, and this assertion is then used to justify genocide. Identity politics has become so divorced from actual political violence that it proves harmful at times – indeed, it is sometimes weaponised in deeply damaging ways.”
Hunia Chawla
According to the writer, who is from Karachi and lives in Yorkshire, the solution to the issue lies “simply in maintaining awareness”.
“It is crucial to recognise that Muslim women are not the only ones facing oppression, patriarchy exists everywhere. It is present here in the UK and across the globe, merely manifesting in different forms. The critical factor is determining who tells the story and who it serves.
“Currently, I observe a narrative structure featuring a saviour and the oppressed, with engagement conducted in a manner that serves the so-called saviour, who are, paradoxically, also the oppressors. This approach proves unhelpful and reinforces a colonial mentality of “we are modern and shall liberate you,” while considerable harm is being inflicted that remains largely unacknowledged,” she added.
In the play, Hanna tries to balance her political beliefs and personal choices by presenting herself as a ‘proper’ Pakistani woman. Her best friend, Minza, doesn’t care about appearing respectable to others. Their close friendship, played out in the busy city of Karachi, faces a major challenge when Hanna relocates to London seeking personal freedom and independence, meanwhile Minza stays behind in Karachi to campaign for political change through protests.
Chawla explained that while the play follows a chronological structure, showing Hanna’s journey from Karachi to London, it incorporates numerous flashbacks to her childhood and teenage years, creating a non-linear narrative.
She expressed her fascination with magical realism, noting that incorporating less naturalistic elements allows for greater character dimension and environmental shifts.
The play explores two distinct approaches to seeking freedom through its protagonists. Originally created as a 20-minute one-woman show and performed to a packed audience at The Space in London, Chawla developed the play into its current form over two years. She collaborated with director Neetu Singh to provide a “new vision” for the play.
She explained that Permission initially told the story of an immigrant girl from Pakistan dealing with the contemporary immigration process.
“The story expanded to explore the broader politics of immigration and questions of liberation and freedom, particularly for south Asian women navigating the immigration process and the complexities of dual identity between Karachi and London,” she said.
“Permission came from the essential question of what liberation means and who gets to define it,” Chawla said.
A still from rehearsal
She noted that Western media often presents reductive narratives, such as in Bend It Like Beckham, where a brown girl from a conservative family becomes “liberated” through western ideas, reinforcing a colonial mindset that positions the west as the standard for modernity and liberation.
The British Pakistani artist highlighted the hypocrisy within this narrative, explaining that while the main character Hanna may feel more secure as a woman in the UK, she encounters censorship when attempting to speak about state violence, Palestine, or western complicity in global conflicts.
“The liberation question becomes complicated – you’re not free to do everything. There’s a condition to that freedom,” she observed.
The Asian actor-writer developed an interest in poetry from a very young age. She studied at the University of Warwick and pursued a career in the financial sector upon completing her studies. She completed the Old Vic Theatre Makers programme and is currently part of the Soho Writers Lab.
Chawla added, “Viewers don’t need to be politically engaged to appreciate the production, as the play’s strength lies in intimate moments and the beautiful portrayal of friendship and sisterhood between its characters. Permission operates on multiple levels, combining serious political themes with genuine entertainment value. It is genuinely funny and engaging.”
She expressed confidence in the production’s broad appeal, noting that previous performances attracted diverse audiences who responded enthusiastically.
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The cast of Marriage Material in key moments from the play, including Avita Jay, Kiran Landa, Omar Malik, Irfan Shamji and Anoushka Deshmukh
The play Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera’s novel of the same name, which first came out in 2013.
She is lucky to have Iqbal Khan direct Marriage Material. The play, a co-production with the Birmingham Rep, is set in the late 1960s. Mr and Mrs Bains (played by Jaz Singh Deol and Avita Jay) run a corner shop in Wolverhampton. Their younger daughter, Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh), is 16, her sister Kamaljit (Kiran Landa) is just a bit older.
They have a neighbour, Patwant Dhanda (Irfan Shamji), who, as we shall soon see, is not a very pleasant man. In fact, he comes across just as racist as Enoch Powell, who represented Wolverhampton South West for the Tories from 1950 to 1974.
It will be recalled this was a time when Sikhs working on the buses were told they couldn’t wear a turban. That was a hard-fought battle that had to be won.
The Bains, meanwhile, simply want to get their girls married off.
Nothing new here, I thought.
What makes the tale different is that the plot twists and turns down the generations. Mr Dhanda, who has the makings of a paedophile, makes a pitch for one of the girls when Mr Bains dies early in the play. “A life with no man in the house is no life,” he informs the newly widowed Mrs Bains.
Mr Dhanda has a wife but she has returned to India so he considers himself to be a free man.
Surinder’s English teacher from school, Miss Flanagan (Celeste Dodwell), who is also head of the fifth form, tells Mrs Bains about her daughter: “I don’t want to embarrass you, but she is bright. Ridiculously bright.”
She adds: “Mrs Bains, I think it would be a pity if Surinder didn’t stay on at school.” The initial response from Mrs Bains is not encouraging: “Too much education makes people’s brains get mixed up, they don’t sleep at night…”
But she is finally persuaded that Surinder should be allowed to stay on for a while longer before being married off.
Mr Bains was very old school. When Surinder confides she would one day like to be “a somebody”, he is amused that “my daughter wants to be a somebody”.
“Like you,” she tells her father.
Mr Bains consoles his daughter: “We will find a somebody for you to marry.”
At the point of a possible marriage, however, Surinder is sweet-talked by chocolate salesman Jim Wilson (Tommy Belshaw) into running away with him. They share a love of literature, and he calls her “Sue Bains”. But the relationship does not end well.
Once she has left, Surinder is written off as “dead” by her family. The story that is circulated is that she was only 16 when she was killed in a car crash. That’s better than to let on that she ran off with a white man.
By the time she is reconciled with her sister towards the end of the play, a great deal has changed. Kamaljit married Tanvir Banga (Omar Malik), a young man who helped out in the Bains’ corner shop. When the two sisters meet again, Tanvir has also died. But he and Kamaljit had a son, Arjan Banga (Jaz Singh Deol doubles up for this role after the death of Mr Bains). He has come home after his father’s death to help his mother who is still running the family corner shop.
Meanwhile, Mr Dhanda’s business has prospered. He now has a son, Ranjit Dhanda (the role is taken by Omar Malik after Tanvir’s death), and he is nearly as unpleasant as his father.
Arjan has an English fiancée, Claire (Celeste Dodwell). In London, Arjan worked as a creative director. But after deciding to stay in Wolverhampton to help his mother, he decides he cannot marry Claire because she is white. In other words, Asians are not free of racism, either. Happily, at the end, the couple are reconciled.
As for Surinder, she parted company with Jim Wilson after realising he was all talk, depended on her for money and had failed to earn a penny from his literary pretensions. She had prospered, though, as a hotel owner and had been transformed in time into a well-groomed businesswoman. After being tracked down by Arjan, she decides to return to her roots in Wolverhampton and help Kamaljit run the family corner shop. Perhaps 50 years had passed during the passage of the play.
Being subjected to racism turned some Asians into racists themselves. The word goreh (white person) is repeatedly spat out with venom. Maybe it is worth remembering the play’s audience isn’t exclusively Asian – white folk are watching as well. And maybe some of the toilet humour ridiculing white people, which always makes me cringe, could be cut out.
In Sanghera’s novel, there is a quote from Enoch Powell’s speech in November 1968: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact, he is a west Indian or an Asian still... he will by the very nature of things have lost one country without gaining another, lost one nationality without acquiring a new one. Time is running out against us and them. With the lapse of a generation or so we shall at last have succeeded – to the benefit of nobody – in reproducing ‘in England’s green and pleasant land’ the haunting tragedy of the US.”
In Marriage Material, where the acting is marvellous (apart from Mr Dhanda’s Indian mannerisms and accent being overdone) we do travel across a couple of generations.
There is a scene when Tanvir rejects Mr Dhanda’s vision of creating a little Punjab in Wolverhampton.
Mr Dhanda wants to take over the Bains’ corner shop and is putting pressure on Tanvir to sign the papers. He says: “In this country, money is the path to freedom.”
“Sign, please,” he instructs Tanvir. “We must make sure our children learn to behave nicely, according to our rules.”
He insists: “We maintain our identity so we can be ourselves.”
Tanvir disagrees: “We can be us here. With the goreh.”
Dhanda warns him: “Then we will be inviting chaos.”
Tanvir’s comment is telling: “You sound like Enoch.”
Kamaljit, who is expecting a baby with her husband Tanvir, says: “I would like my child to grow up knowing the history of the Gurus and to read the Granth Sahib. And to love their culture.”
Tanvir tells his wife: “I would like my child to go to the finest schools, to cheer for England in the World Cup and eat Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday.”
Kamaljit sets out a dream that has perhaps come to pass with many third and fourth generation British Asians: “Maybe our child can do both.” Much, much later, in a throwback to the past, we learn of Surinder’s O-level results: “Biology A, Chemistry A, English Language A, English Literature A, French A, History B, Latin A, Mathematics A, Physics A…”
Kamaljit tells her younger sister: “Never mind about the B.”
And that is quintessentially Asian. Their acting is outstanding.
Marriage Material is at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre until June 21, and at the Birmingham Rep from June 25-July 5
A new play based on Asian author Sathnam Sanghera’s novel traces generations and communities, offering insight into British society, its director has said.
Published in 2013, Marriage Material delves into the experiences of an immigrant family in the UK, as a young man navigates the tensions between his dual British and Punjabi identities, his family’s past, and the life he has built for himself.
Marriage Material has been adapted for the stage under the same name by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti and is directed by Iqbal Khan.
The play follows the journey of a Sikh family across generations. It begins in the late 1960s in Wolverhampton, where they run a corner shop, and continues through to the present day.
Gurpreet Kaur BhattiHelen Murray
In an interview with Eastern Eye, Khan said, “The play tracks and parallels my life in many ways, because I was born in Birmingham to Punjabi Pakistani parents, and so many of the themes are resonant with what I’ve lived. So, it’s a very significant story.”
He added, “Gurpreet has made changes (from the original version) and it has a slightly different end. Interestingly, there are no stereotypical elements.
“One of the most compelling aspects of Gurpreet’s writing was where the story begins. “Typically, such plays start with the patriarch and matriarch figures from the older generation, often portrayed as duty-bound and lacking passion. But that’s not the case here. We begin with a relatively young couple in their early to mid-30s, deeply in love – and unafraid to show it.
“The play then explores how the pressures of living in British society gradually erode their physical health and what their children inherit from them, both emotionally and culturally.”
Actresses Kiran Landa and Anoushka Deshmukh in a poster of Marriage MaterialHelen Murray
Khan, who is in his early fifties, and is the associate director of Birmingham Rep, said the play speaks direct to Sikh and Punjabi communities, especially those in the Midlands and London.
He said, “Like any great piece of theatre, this story, however, goes beyond one community. It’s about a family, about Britain, and about the journey of identity in today’s world.”
But, he added, “This isn’t just a story about British Asians – it features a range of characters and reflects the wider story of who we are as a country today, shaped by our past. Anyone interested in that journey, or who comes from an extended family or immigrant background, which includes most of us, will find something familiar in it. It’s a warm and funny play, using humour to bring people together and celebrate our differences. It builds bridges across generations and cultures, and I truly believe it will resonate with everyone, no matter their background. It’s a story for all.”
Describing the “inner strength” of the novel, Khan said, “Great writers often use the family and the domestic sphere as a metaphor for the world. This is also very much present in Sanghera’s original novel. By focusing on the family, you create an image of the world and of society. So, it’s not just about a Sikh Punjabi family in Wolverhampton; it’s also an image of how society has developed over time. The more specific we are, the more resonant the story becomes with universal truths – about the world, society, and what makes Britain what it is today.”
Khan explained how in the play’s second half, set in the present day, the youngest son faces questions about who he really is – how he balances his Asian heritage with his British life. He’s also in a relationship with a white British woman, which brings up issues that are still very relevant.
“I hope anyone who enjoys smart comedy, moving drama, and quality theatre will come. It’s a rich, heartfelt story that can connect with people from all walks of life,” the director said.
Khan has been working in the industry for more than three decades. He said the production team used movements and music to show transitions among different time periods in the play.
“Honouring the complexity of that narrative is a significant challenge. Another is the structure – the first half jumps forward in time, sometimes five or 10 years at a stretch. Staging those shifts while maintaining narrative clarity is demanding. We’re not relying solely on realism either; we’re also working to preserve the poetic and lyrical qualities of the piece,” he said.
“I hope it’s a beautiful, playful set, with a poetic element. The great thing about theatre is that it’s inherently non-naturalistic. If you want naturalism or realism, you go to TV or cinema. Theatre is a poetic form; it allows you to suggest truths and transition between moments. The design conveys more than just the setting or period. Without giving too much away, the play does shift across time.”
Khan said it’s an “exciting time” for people from Asian and minority communities to be in the arts.
“When I started in the industry, there were a few leading figures like Jatinder Verma (theatre director and activist), but opportunities were limited, especially in the mainstream. The types of stories being told were quite narrow. That has changed a lot. Today, the arts are far more open and eager for a wider range of stories, not just those focused on trauma, but joyful and celebratory ones too. The next big step is encouraging people from all backgrounds to tell any story they feel passionate about, not just ones linked to their heritage,” he said.
“If you’re creative with a strong voice, don’t feel restricted. Tell the stories you want to tell. Don’t limit your ambitions or dreams. Be bold, and don’t be afraid to bring activism into your work. In the past, work from marginalised communities was seen as financially risky, but that view is shifting – and will continue to change faster if the next generation stands firm and refuses to compromise.
“We now have inspiring leaders like Indhu Rubasingham and Natasha Kathi-Chandra, who are genuinely excited about bold, honest, and sometimes challenging stories that reflect the world we live in. So yes, it’s a very exciting time to be in the arts.”
Marriage Material will run at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre until June 21, and at Birmingham Rep from June 25 to July 5.
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Shazia Nicholls, Nikesh Patel, Sabrina Sandhu and Arian Nik in a poster of Speed
A NEW play explores anger through the lens of being both south Asian and British, its Asian director has said.
Speed, directed by Milli Bhatia opened at Bush Theatre last Friday (4). It is written by Mohamed Zain Dada (Zain), and the cast includes Nikesh Patel, Arian Nik, Shazia Nicholls and Sabrina Sandhu.
Set in a Birmingham hotel basement, it tells the story of a nurse, a delivery driver and an entrepreneur who attend a speed awareness course.
In an interview with Eastern Eye, Bhatia said, “The play follows three participants and a facilitator.
“It is a new scheme being trialled by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), combining different methods to rehabilitate individuals who drive at excessive speeds or have been involved in road altercations. The programme is specifically tailored as a speed awareness course for aggressive drivers.
“The play raises intriguing questions about British stoicism, particularly the idea of keeping calm and carrying on, and what that means for second- and third-generation British south Asians today, especially in the wake of race riots.”
She added, “It explores the themes of racing culture, car culture, and our community’s relationship with cars.
“During our research, we have been looking at Zimmers of Southall, a photography book by Hark Karan, which celebrates our community and its deep connection with cars in this country. We also drew inspiration from [Turner Prize winner] Jasleen Kaur’s recent exhibition at Tate, which includes an installation of a car with a giant doily on it. I interpreted it as a beautiful symbol of first-generation migrants acquiring their own cars and the care they place in them.
“Through this process, we have deeply examined car culture and how it specifically relates to our community — this is very much reflected in the play.”
Bhatia said Speed poses important questions about how we are permitted to express anger, and the extent to which we suppress it to avoid being misinterpreted or judged. She added, “Zain, the writer, was inspired by his own experience of attending a speed awareness course. He was fascinated by the dramatic potential of strangers coming together in a room, wanting to present themselves in a certain way while also being exposed to situations that make them feel vulnerable.
Milli Bhatia
“The play isn’t directly about this, but many of us have been reflecting on how much permission we feel to express ourselves, particularly after last summer’s race riots [after the Southport killings]. There was horrific footage of south Asian men simply walking down the street and being attacked for being there. That was terrifying for us.
“We are all very aware of what previous generations of Indians in this country endured. We’ve spoken to our parents and grandparents about the National Front, the Southall riots, and the incredible resistance movements they were part of – things that aren’t widely celebrated or discussed. That’s why Defiance, the Channel 4 series, felt like such an important moment in acknowledging our history of protest.
“After the race riots, we gained a new perspective on what our parents and grandparents had told us. We experienced real fear, which made us question anger – where it goes, how much of it we’re allowed to express. That context made the play feel dramatically compelling.”
Bhatia said she hoped south Asians who come to watch that play will experience that same sense of recognition as Speed poses “meaningful questions for them”.
“At its core, however, Speed focuses on speeding and aggressive driving. Applying this issue to the south Asian community, and particularly to our generation, is fascinating. We are often referred to as the angry generation, and the facilitator in the play frequently references academic discussions on anger.
“[Roman philosopher] Seneca, for instance, viewed anger as a useless emotion. However, I was recently listening to Gabor Maté, Canadian physician and author, who argues that anger is essential for survival. This theme feels particularly poignant now, considering that only last summer, south Asians were attacked simply for their visibility. Looking at how earlier generations navigated these issues has been as crucial as examining what it means for us today.”
Bhatia has been nominated twice for the Olivier Awards for Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner and Blue Mist.
A former associate director at the Royal Court Theatre, she has worked with leading theatres across the UK and internationally, with productions staged in the West End, New York, and Sweden.
Describing her journey in the arts, she said, “I always knew I wanted to be a storyteller, and I was lucky to grow up in a home where my parents [actress Meera Syal and her former husband, the journalist Shekhar Bhatia] and grandparents actively encouraged that.
“I started directing at university when I was 18, though it wasn’t something I initially planned to do. I was studying drama and English, and I knew I wanted to work in the arts, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity.”
“At one point, I thought I might become an actor, but I was also volunteering at a women’s refuge at the time. I had done so in London, and when I moved to Norwich for university, I continued volunteering. They asked me to organise a fundraiser, and I agreed. Since I was in the drama department and had access to brilliant actors and resources, I decided to put on a play. That was the first play I ever directed, at 18.
“Six years later, I was directing at the Royal Court. It was quite a rapid trajectory. I quickly realised how much I loved collaboration in theatre. Directing allowed me to focus on two things I really cared about: political themes (since the play supported the refuge) and working with an all-female cast for that project.”
Bhatia said she was moved by a play by South African playwright Yael Farber called Nirbhaya, which was based on the Delhi gang rape incident. Even now, years later, I think about that play. It opened my eyes to what theatre could be and who it could be about. It profoundly moved me, she said.
She said she feels creatively fulfilled by making work that explores big questions about south Asians, their place in the world, and the challenges they face.
A STAGE adaptation of A Thousand Splendid Suns is a celebration of women’s strength and their ability to endure, its playwright has said.
Irish Indian writer Ursula Rani Sarma, 47, worked on Afghan American author Khaled Hosseini’s novel for a new production which opens at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre next Friday (11).
The novel tells the story of two women united by circumstance in 1990s Afghanistan. Set against the backdrop of civil war and Taliban rule, it follows orphaned Laila, who becomes the second wife of neighbour Rasheed, and his first wife Mariam.
Rani Sarma told Eastern Eye the core message in the play is about love and resilience that ultimately leaves one feeling the world might be all right.
In an interview, she said, the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco approached her to adapt the book.
“I had previously worked with them and written a play, and they felt my artistic sensibility might be a good fit for the adaptation. When I met Hosseini, he gave me considerable freedom. He explained that a novel cannot be a play and must exist as its own entity,” she said.
“He suggested that since he is not a playwright and I am, I should feel free to recraft the material.”
Directed by Roxana Silbert, the cast includes Rina Fatania (Mariam), Kerena Jagpal (Laila), and Jonas Khan (Rasheed), among others.
Rani Sarma said, “The adaptation took around two years, which is not particularly long for a theatre piece. I would typically spend about six months writing the first draft, followed by workshops where I would revise and refine the material.
“After the theatre company committed to the production, we moved towards the rehearsal stage. I flew to San Francisco and was present throughout the entire rehearsal process. Hosseini would occasionally visit, but he was careful to give us space to develop the piece without feeling overshadowed by the book’s success.
Khaled Hosseini
“He was always available if I needed guidance, and we would have conversations about specific elements, when necessary. He proved to be a wonderful person – a true humanitarian and champion of women – who was kind and generous, wanting me to feel free to transform the novel into a proper theatrical piece.”
Rani Sarma, who lives in Lahinch, west Ireland, said her Asian heritage (her father is from Assam) significantly influenced her writing. At a young age, She started reading Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, who won the Nobel prize for literature.
“When you are mixed race, you never fully belong in any place. As a result, you bring a distinct artistic insight with you. I believe this was one reason I was approached to adapt this work – being a woman of mixedrace heritage with knowledge and interest in that part of the world,” she said.
“Growing up as a mixed-race Irish Indian in Ireland during a time when there were very few mixed-race families, I was the only such family in our village and wider community. This experience meant growing up always on the outside looking in, which allowed me to form a unique commentary and perspective.
“I am deeply interested in how things work, particularly how society functions and why people behave as they do. Despite the significant cultural differences between Afghanistan and India, I noticed similarities in the relationships between men and women. I could even see echoes in past Irish society, where women were often treated as commodities and traded, such as farmers marrying their daughters to other farmers.
Rani Sharma, who writes plays for the National Theatre, the Abbey Theatre and EON Productions, said, “The adaptation tries to present a nuanced view of human nature, exploring the spectrum of male characters and understanding the characters’ behaviour through a lens of empathy and psychological complexity.”
Arts “should reflect society”, she said, adding there should be plays and films about “regular people from diverse backgrounds”. “I want my daughter to grow up seeing versions of herself on screen and stage, believing she holds as much space as anyone else. This contrasts with the whitewashed, maledominated culture I grew up in, where it was challenging to convince people that your voice was worth hearing.
“Over my twenty-year career, I have witnessed a notable shift in the arts. When I first started writing, there was very little interest in female-led stories, both in theatre and across television and film.
The poster of the stage adaptation
“In the last decade, there has been a welcome change, with increasing interest in female narratives and perspectives from different cultural backgrounds,” she said.
“My aspiration is to tell stories about regular people from diverse backgrounds, without focusing solely on issues like forced marriages or terrorism. I am currently working on a BBC television show that will feature a regular Indian family in a prime-time legal drama, hoping to normalise representation.”
Her advice to aspiring Asian artists? “Believe in yourselves and understand that your voice matters. There is an appetite for diverse voices in the industry. Artists should be their own advocates, confident in the validity of their work without being arrogant.
They should do thorough research before sharing their work, selecting appropriate organisations and platforms that are receptive to their narratives.”
The cast of Marriage Material in key moments from the play, including Avita Jay, Kiran Landa, Omar Malik, Irfan Shamji and Anoushka Deshmukh
Sathnam Sanghera’s 'Marriage Material' adapted into bold new play on conformity
The play Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera’s novel of the same name, which first came out in 2013.
She is lucky to have Iqbal Khan direct Marriage Material. The play, a co-production with the Birmingham Rep, is set in the late 1960s. Mr and Mrs Bains (played by Jaz Singh Deol and Avita Jay) run a corner shop in Wolverhampton. Their younger daughter, Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh), is 16, her sister Kamaljit (Kiran Landa) is just a bit older.
They have a neighbour, Patwant Dhanda (Irfan Shamji), who, as we shall soon see, is not a very pleasant man. In fact, he comes across just as racist as Enoch Powell, who represented Wolverhampton South West for the Tories from 1950 to 1974.
It will be recalled this was a time when Sikhs working on the buses were told they couldn’t wear a turban. That was a hard-fought battle that had to be won.
The Bains, meanwhile, simply want to get their girls married off.
Nothing new here, I thought.
What makes the tale different is that the plot twists and turns down the generations. Mr Dhanda, who has the makings of a paedophile, makes a pitch for one of the girls when Mr Bains dies early in the play. “A life with no man in the house is no life,” he informs the newly widowed Mrs Bains.
Mr Dhanda has a wife but she has returned to India so he considers himself to be a free man.
Surinder’s English teacher from school, Miss Flanagan (Celeste Dodwell), who is also head of the fifth form, tells Mrs Bains about her daughter: “I don’t want to embarrass you, but she is bright. Ridiculously bright.”
She adds: “Mrs Bains, I think it would be a pity if Surinder didn’t stay on at school.” The initial response from Mrs Bains is not encouraging: “Too much education makes people’s brains get mixed up, they don’t sleep at night…”
But she is finally persuaded that Surinder should be allowed to stay on for a while longer before being married off.
Mr Bains was very old school. When Surinder confides she would one day like to be “a somebody”, he is amused that “my daughter wants to be a somebody”.
“Like you,” she tells her father.
Mr Bains consoles his daughter: “We will find a somebody for you to marry.”
At the point of a possible marriage, however, Surinder is sweet-talked by chocolate salesman Jim Wilson (Tommy Belshaw) into running away with him. They share a love of literature, and he calls her “Sue Bains”. But the relationship does not end well.
Once she has left, Surinder is written off as “dead” by her family. The story that is circulated is that she was only 16 when she was killed in a car crash. That’s better than to let on that she ran off with a white man.
By the time she is reconciled with her sister towards the end of the play, a great deal has changed. Kamaljit married Tanvir Banga (Omar Malik), a young man who helped out in the Bains’ corner shop. When the two sisters meet again, Tanvir has also died. But he and Kamaljit had a son, Arjan Banga (Jaz Singh Deol doubles up for this role after the death of Mr Bains). He has come home after his father’s death to help his mother who is still running the family corner shop.
Meanwhile, Mr Dhanda’s business has prospered. He now has a son, Ranjit Dhanda (the role is taken by Omar Malik after Tanvir’s death), and he is nearly as unpleasant as his father.
Arjan has an English fiancée, Claire (Celeste Dodwell). In London, Arjan worked as a creative director. But after deciding to stay in Wolverhampton to help his mother, he decides he cannot marry Claire because she is white. In other words, Asians are not free of racism, either. Happily, at the end, the couple are reconciled.
As for Surinder, she parted company with Jim Wilson after realising he was all talk, depended on her for money and had failed to earn a penny from his literary pretensions. She had prospered, though, as a hotel owner and had been transformed in time into a well-groomed businesswoman. After being tracked down by Arjan, she decides to return to her roots in Wolverhampton and help Kamaljit run the family corner shop. Perhaps 50 years had passed during the passage of the play.
Being subjected to racism turned some Asians into racists themselves. The word goreh (white person) is repeatedly spat out with venom. Maybe it is worth remembering the play’s audience isn’t exclusively Asian – white folk are watching as well. And maybe some of the toilet humour ridiculing white people, which always makes me cringe, could be cut out.
In Sanghera’s novel, there is a quote from Enoch Powell’s speech in November 1968: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact, he is a west Indian or an Asian still... he will by the very nature of things have lost one country without gaining another, lost one nationality without acquiring a new one. Time is running out against us and them. With the lapse of a generation or so we shall at last have succeeded – to the benefit of nobody – in reproducing ‘in England’s green and pleasant land’ the haunting tragedy of the US.”
In Marriage Material, where the acting is marvellous (apart from Mr Dhanda’s Indian mannerisms and accent being overdone) we do travel across a couple of generations.
There is a scene when Tanvir rejects Mr Dhanda’s vision of creating a little Punjab in Wolverhampton.
Mr Dhanda wants to take over the Bains’ corner shop and is putting pressure on Tanvir to sign the papers. He says: “In this country, money is the path to freedom.”
“Sign, please,” he instructs Tanvir. “We must make sure our children learn to behave nicely, according to our rules.”
He insists: “We maintain our identity so we can be ourselves.”
Tanvir disagrees: “We can be us here. With the goreh.”
Dhanda warns him: “Then we will be inviting chaos.”
Tanvir’s comment is telling: “You sound like Enoch.”
Kamaljit, who is expecting a baby with her husband Tanvir, says: “I would like my child to grow up knowing the history of the Gurus and to read the Granth Sahib. And to love their culture.”
Tanvir tells his wife: “I would like my child to go to the finest schools, to cheer for England in the World Cup and eat Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday.”
Kamaljit sets out a dream that has perhaps come to pass with many third and fourth generation British Asians: “Maybe our child can do both.” Much, much later, in a throwback to the past, we learn of Surinder’s O-level results: “Biology A, Chemistry A, English Language A, English Literature A, French A, History B, Latin A, Mathematics A, Physics A…”
Kamaljit tells her younger sister: “Never mind about the B.”
And that is quintessentially Asian. Their acting is outstanding.
Marriage Material is at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre until June 21, and at the Birmingham Rep from June 25-July 5