Political activism with a rom com persuasion, The P Word is a tonally confused but powerful watch.
At its heart, The P Word explores Britain’s broken asylum system through the life of Zafar (Esh Alladi) as he hangs in limbo between deportation and finding a new home. Running in parallel to Zafar’s story is that of Bilal, a self-professed gym bro and Grindr addict who slowly learns to love. Whilst his role is integral to the show, in contrast to Zafar the character comes off shallow and uninspired. I never found myself rooting for Bilal for any reason other than because he was the only other character on stage.
A standout throughout the show was Esh Alladi’s performance whose handling of Zafar was delicate and considered. The show’s effectiveness hinges entirely around Zafar, and Alladi never drops the baton.
Whilst simple, the show’s staging is effective and at no point detracts from the experience. The set pulls inspiration from characters’ personal symbols, solidifying and uniting them in the space. As the two draw closer, sharing their experiences of homophobia and identity as British Pakistanis, so too do they unite in the space.
Unfortunately, the show feels like it cannot decide how it should treat the subject matter. The first 40 minutes of the show introduces us to both characters as we hop in and out of each narrative. It wrestles between Zafar’s deeply traumatic past, having to flee his home for threat of death from his father, and questions of ‘should I double text my hook-up if I messaged last?’ Littered throughout the play are moments of beauty that when isolated are truly incredible but when seen in context are undermined by the surrounding scenes.
The play slowly picks up the pace from its slow opening and eventually rockets towards its promised Bollywood ending. As music and lights explode into action, The P Word slams its real meaning home, solidifying itself as a show that must be seen, especially given the current climate in which it exists.
Fundamentally, The P Word is an exploration of a deeply profound and important topic that is sadly diluted as the show loses itself to unoriginal writing and undermining humour. However, you would be remiss to miss such an original and important theme, despite the bumps in the road.