Frankie Goes to Bollywood 
Southbank Centre, London
Fascist anti-immigrant riots are breaking out across the UK. Now is the time for Queerguru to be out celebrating the glorious, rich and beautiful culture that migration has given these islands. Starting with this sensually overloading, vibrant and slightly meta musical fairytale Frankie Goes to Bollywood, written and directed by Pravesh Kumar</
It’s a story that reverses the direction of migration when Frankie decides to head from Milton Keynes to India. Frankie (Laila Zaidi) grew up on her mother Maa’s favourite genre, Bollywood, which ignited a heady passion for romantic drama, over the top costumes and effervescent dance numbers. After Maa’s death it also represents an idealised family life. It’s a helter skelter rise to the top of Bollywood via a series of fortunate events. But at the peak she finds herself in a struggle to remain true to herself and break free from the men who are controlling her destiny.
We meet Frankie in Milton Keynes, working in the cinema with her best friend Goldy (Katie Stasi). Frankie hasn’t found her place in the world, so dreams of the otherworldly life of Bollywood, however it is her friend Goldy who really wants to be an actress. A chance meeting at one of Goldy’s auditions , and her good looks, lead to Frankie being plucked from obscurity and cast in a big Bollywood movie. Frankie is ill prepared for the brutal world of Bollywood and ends up as the pretty, but mainly decorative, actress girlfriend of one of its biggest stars Raju King (Dhruv Ravi standing in for Geet Sagar). It’s just enough to make her a super star. She leaves her childhood confidante Goldy behind.
The musical starts off slowly, it has to be said that Milton Keynes is not the most enigmatic place to start, and it’s not until Frankie reaches Bollywood that the music, the spectacle and the magic starts to kick in. When it does it compensates for the uninspiring beginning. The sequins on their own deserved a curtain call as the hip wiggling, eye batting melodrama of Bollywood kicks into highest gear.
It’s not the largest cast or the biggest stage. We imagine wistfully the cinematic treatment that would allow hundreds of dancers in the big spectacle show stoppers, but the dozen or so performers make the space work damn hard. A rainbow sheened soap bubble filled to bursting. The ending has an overtly panto feel to it. The villain gets his comeuppance, true love is found, and friends overcome their misunderstanding. All set to a rousingly jolly score. No surprises, but certainly no disappointments. The audience, refreshingly brown for central London theatre, ate it up. The aunties know a good time when they see it.
Queerguru Contributing Editor ANDREW HEBDEN is a MEDIA and cultural STUDIES graduate spending his career between London, Beijing, and NYC as an expert in media and social trends. As part of the expanding minimalist FIRE movement, he recently returned to the UK and lives in Soho. He devotes as much time as possible to the movies, theatre, and the gym. His favorite thing is to try something (anything) new every day”
