Happy Birthday Sunita At The Royal And Derngate Theatre, Northampton Review
TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Ilze
We had the pleasure of being invited to the press night at Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton for ‘Happy Birthday Sunita’, a production of Rifco Theatre Company.
The play focused on one night, one ‘celebration’, one family. A family whose father/ husband left 20 years ago to go back to India, and a wife/ children who tried to hang on to the hope of return for far too long. A celebration that turns out to be a rather complicated mix of emotions and events, from a forgotten cake, right through to some big revelations.
The characters:
Sunita, the 40 yr old who are stuck in the past. She still lives in her childhood home, and very quickly falls into the role of petulant child. She is frumpy, a bit anti-social and not exactly jumping with joy on her special day.
Sunita’s mother, Tejpal. Desperately trying to make the day special for her daughter, she is simultaneously fussing whilst trying to keep everything even. Imparting important life lessons as she goes, whilst holding on to the guilt of having done things wrong in the past. She is every mother, and plays the role perfectly.
Sunita’s brother – Nav. A little bit silly, a little bit overbearing. A little bit modern, a little bit traditional. Nav is all of that, and more. One minute he is a mama’s boy, criticising his wife’s cooking. The next he is protector, trying to fill the shoes of his father, or at least ‘the man of the house’. He showcases the complications of the modern man really well.
Harleen – Nav’s wife. There is no doubt that Harleen stole the show. The slightly over the top health conscious career woman, the ambitious fashion designer, but also – the wife who wants to be loved for who she is, not what she can bring. The little digs to her in-laws played perfectly, whilst also showing the vulnerable side of just wanting to be accepted. Her performance was absolutely brilliant and delightful.
Maurice – the odd one out. He is invited as a friend, and swoop in with less cultural awareness than what is comfortable. And as embarrassing as it is, it also gives a nod to some of what we might do, the stereotyping, the ‘spikeyness’ that might exist when two cultures come together.
The play started off very slow, and I worried that I’d be at a bit of a loss to try and hook into it. I was soon proven wrong. There were enough funny moments to fill the theatre with laughter often.
I must admit, and found it a bit of relief to hear during the break that others experienced it too, that some of it went over my head. It was a little bit like when you join a new group, and they share some ‘in’-jokes, that you half heartedly laugh at, but secretly feel a bit put out that you are not completely part of it. And that’s got to be ok. Every culture, every family has their own dynamics, and it has to stay a privilege to be shown a glimpse of that.
After the break, it felt as if the dynamic of the play changed quite a bit. A lot of the groundwork from the first half quickly came into play here. And as light-hearted and silly as it was at times, it left me feeling strangely emotional. I’d even go as far as saying inspired.
Life doesn’t always deal us a fair hand that we are happy with. And as demonstrated, it might come in the form of an arranged marriage that doesn’t quite work out as hoped for, or feeling abandoned by a parent. But if we are lucky, we learn early on that it isn’t what we are dealt that makes the difference, but what we choose to do with it. Staying stuck, or moving on. Keep hoping for something that will never happen, or manage our expectations. Being married to the past, or opening our hearts and minds to whatever good might come to us. And if it takes a theatre show to remind us of that, that’s not a bad way.
Overall, the evening was really pleasant. Plenty of laughs, a slight bit of dust in the eyes. But as with every good show, which this certainly was, you walk away feeling good, uplifted and thoroughly entertained.
As always, parking near the theatre was easy and cheap. The venue is lovely, clean and filled with friendly staff.
It was a real pleasure, and I am more than happy to give this show a solid, strong 4 out of 5.
The show is on from Tuesday 6th June 2023 until Saturday 10th June
For more information or to book tickets please visit Happy Birthday Sunita – Royal & Derngate (royalandderngate.co.uk)