Salisbury Playhouse
On now until Nov 14th
East is East explodes with energy from the very start, with George, the father of a large dual-heritage Pakistani/English family, excitedly rushing around their kitchen with the stupendous news that his youngest son was never circumcised. When Auntie Annie confirms this by looking down the poor boy’s trousers, a hospital appointment is made to sort out his “tickle tackle”.
Set in the seventies, George is obsessed with the radio news of partition of West and East Pakistan and India. His family come from near Kashmir, and he came to Britain in 1930, and married Ella, a working class, white, Northerner.
Trouble and friction appear when George fixes a meeting with the odious Mr Shah, in order for the two eldest sons to marry his daughters. The Pakistani way of life clashes horribly with the British, with the sons and the wife outraged at the lack of consultation or communication, the father expecting to be obeyed. Irritation becomes something darker, and fists fly when incomprehension meets frustration.
The young cast portray the sons brilliantly, all very different, two wanting to be good Muslim sons, two wanting to follow their very British dreams, and the youngest son who displays a chaotic behaviour and eccentric tics – not to mention his refusal to take off his stinky parker, for a year. Their sister veers between being grown up, trying but failing to be rebellious, and fighting like a child with her youngest sibling.
Bhasker Patel’s performance as George is a tour de force. Samantha Power is impressive as Ella, as is Victoria Brazier as Auntie Annie, two strong Northern women chatting over fags and cups of tea. The sons, played by Zaki Ali, Danyal Ismail, Matthew Khan, Rohan Macleod, Joeravar Sangha, Sushil Chudasama, are all tremendous. Special mention to Maya Dhokia, the only daughter, Meenah. Director is Kash Arshad and set designer of the very creative set is Rachana Jadhav, cleverly doubling as a living room and fish and chip shop. The final binning of the youngest sibling’s stinky parker, suggests welcomed new beginnings for all the family.
It is the 30th year revival of this hilarious and poignant play by Ayub Khan Din, and the film of 1999, and it still feels fresh and just as relevant today.
https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/events/east-is-east
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Reviewer: Claire Lewis
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