REVIEW: East Is East, Churchill Theatre (On Tour) ✭✭✭✭

Pauline McLynn and Simon Nagra in East Is East. Photo: Marc Brenner East is East

Churchill Theatre

6 July 2015

4 Stars

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East is East is set in the early 70s, was written in the 80s and released as a film in the mid 90s. And yet it’s remarkable how little it has dated. Since the film was released we have seen 9/11, the ‘War on Terror’ and the rise of the Islamic State. meaning questions of identity amongst British Muslims are as important and relevant as ever.

Pakistani chip-shop owner George ‘Genghis’ Khan is determined to give his children a strict Muslim upbringing against the unforgiving backdrop of 1970s Salford. Household tension reaches breaking point as their long-suffering English mother, Ella, gets caught in the cross fire, as her loyalties become divided between her marriage and the free will of her children.

A disclosure – I have never seen the film East is East, nor did I know a great deal about it until I turned up at the rather unassuming Churchill Theatre. However, this can often serve as a benefit when it comes to stage adaptations of films. It is a great way of testing whether the play stands on its own two feet as a piece of theatre, rather than a carbon copy surviving off flickerings of recognition from the big screen. East is East certainly succeeds in this regard; it was originally workshopped as a theatre production and loses none of its impact when brought back into the stage setting.

Salma Hoque, Ashley Kumar, Adam Karim and Darren Kuppan in East is East. Photo: Marc Brenner

There are a number of pertinent and touching themes; identity, belonging and respect are weaved through this production with skill. It is hard enough knowing who you are as a teenager, without the dual conflicting forces of a Western education and a strict Pakistani father. Having to go to the mosque when you want to go out with your friends, not being able to pursue your artistic desires or even being able to eat a much sought after bacon sandwich – it’s all brought to life through Ayub Khan Din’s warm and amusing script. Din gave his mostly young cast plenty to work with; it’s amazing how many top writers are unable to write realistic dialogue for kids and teenagers. Despite the period setting, the play still feels fresh and fun whilst possessing sufficient depth that the darker twists later on don’t feel contrived.

The casting of Pauline McLynn raised immediate eyebrows; a star of pure comedy vintage who won awards and praise for her Mrs Doyle on Father Ted. She is a brilliant Ella Khan, poignantly capturing her devotion to both her children and her infuriating husband. The only snag is her accent; at times it sounded a fair distance from her character’s Mancunian roots. Simon Nagra was similarly strong as the terrifying father figure, whose obsession with his Pakistani homeland puts him and his family on constant edge. He is warm and likeable when he needs to be but becomes increasingly fearsome and bigoted as the play progresses; it’s a strong and nuanced portrayal which makes you realize why his character is loathed and loved alike by his family.

The stand out performance of the night though comes from Sally Bankes, who with precious little stage time brings the house down as Auntie Annie. With blistering comic timing, Northern grit and a raucous infectious laugh, Bankes squeezes every drop of humour out of her scenes – her heatfelt yet rambling conversations with McLynn’s Ella are a lot of fun. The ‘youngsters’ are well cast, with their portrayals reflecting the different ways family members react to trouble at home. Rebellious Tariq (Ashley Kumar), troubled Sajit (Adam Karim) and diligent Maneer (Darren Kuppan) were particularly strong in their portrayals of young boys caught between an alien Western culture, a bossy but well meaning mother and a father’s unrealistic and outdated expectations.

Tom Scutt’s set is a grim and austere looking backdrop which over the course of the night became the Khan’s house, a chippie and a hospital. Some seriously rapid scene changes meant that the multipurpose set worked well, supported by some funky and atmospheric period music from Alex Baronowski. One slightly odd staging decision however; Adam Karim’s Sajit remained on stage, perched on top of a building throughout the interval, only to jump off and disappear into the wings as the second half fired up– it seemed a bit cruel to rob an actor of a break for minimal theatrical value!

Whilst the dialogue and plot usually flowed fairly easily, the endings of both halves were surprisingly clunky. The first half ended with a fairly blatant bit of exposition which made for a limp entry into the interval. Similarly, without giving the ending away, the end to the second half felt a bit unsatisfying; without most of the loose ends remained untied and the main source of conflict for the play seemed totally forgotten about. In a play which features domestic violence, arranged marriages and some pretty unwholesome views, the ending didn’t offer much in the way of resolution.

East is East is a fun and entertaining night out for fans of the film and for people who just want to see a touching and interesting piece of theatre. With diversity in the arts being such a hot topic, how fantastic to see a mostly Asian cast being cheered to the rafters for a production about ‘Asian issues’. Mr Khan would struggle to explain that one…

East Is East is currently touring the UK. Click here for tour details and a special offer.