Mixed messages and confusing signals in Eastern culture tale
MOST people remember the 1999 film version of this original play and remember a raucous comedy. Even I had forgotten the sinister elements of a somewhat terrified household on the threshold of rebellion, though I believe the film may have sugarcoated this slightly with lashings of additional humour.
The character of patriarch George Khan is a complex one: it is clear he wants the best for his seven children and there is a subtle nod in Act One to the intimacy he has shared with his wife. However, the culture clash almost drives the couple apart and their youngest child to the brink of madness.
Written by Ayub Khan Din and first performed for Tamasha Theatre in 1996, this revival (the action is set in 1971) does feel a little dated. Some of the shock swearing does not sit that well and some of the racial references now simply get cheap laughs. There is an issue with the overall tone of this production too. Should the physicallycharged beatings be played for laughs? Mixed messages were being sent and confusing signals mean awkward laughter.
The cast, led by Pauline McLynn (Father Ted’s Mrs Doyle) as Mrs Khan, really shone in Act Two, where heightened tensions gave more dramatic opportunity. Salma Hoque was a feisty Meenah (the future-facing only daughter) while Adam Karim pulled on the heartstrings as troubled Sajit (his manky Parka a symbol of his wish to hide himself from the world). Sally Bankes was a pleasingly jovial Auntie Annie (the kindly yet nosey Northern neighbour) while Sakuntala Ramanee was a suitably shrill Mrs Shah and the ideal foil for Mrs Khan’s cathartic vitriol.
The crux of the piece lies with Mr Khan and Simon Nagra’s subtle portrayal. He is a man who yearns for his homeland – which is on the brink of destruction; a husband who aims to please – but often misses; and a father who loves his children – all too fiercely.
Go along and make up your own mind. Runs ends Saturday