A spectacular riot of sex, love and music amidst the rising racism of 70s South London, leaving audiences boogying out The Barbican.
Theatre is a journey into a different world and in few other productions is the power of this art form so greatly affirmed than in Emma Rice’s adaptation of the 1990 novel by Hanif Kureishi, The Buddha of Suburbia.
At a lengthy 2 hours and 30 minutes, I found myself completely captivated by Karim’s world, feeling no desire to leave and return to reality.
To hold the attention of over 1000 audience members in the vast space of the Barbican Theatre for such a length of time is no easy feat, but one that Dee Ahluwalia, playing Karim, does with such flair and naturalness. Armed with a standing microphone, Dee kicks off the production with a fast paced and fun monologue, introducing the late 70s era; a time of hope and excitement, coming out of the winter of discontent.
Young Karim embodies the spirit of this age, expressing a hope to transcend Beckenham and Suburbia, seeking a greater artistic pursuit – the world of the theatre.
However the theatre industry is cruel and unkind to Karim, racially stereotyping him, displayed in a moment where Karim is forced to paint himself brown and wear a loincloth, and again when the hilariously pompous director Matthew Pyke, played by Ewan Wardrop, requires Karim to exploit his family members as characters, stating his play needs more ‘colour’.
Despite these serious and thought-provoking explorations of power dynamics and racism, The Buddha of Suburbia maintains a riotously upbeat tone. This is brought to life through excellent sound design by Simon Baker, a humorous motif of orgasms as confetti, a fruit filled orgy and delightfully recognisable characters.
Karim’s world contains a wonderfully quirky amalgamation of family members: his stubborn but caring Auntie, his sexually empowered book-worm cousin Jamila, her Arthur Conan Doyle obsessed devoted ‘husband’ Changez, Karim’s uptight but ever-caring mother Margaret and his previously aristocratic but now spiritually enlightened clerk father Haroon. These characters are brought to life with such energy and joy by the cast, you can’t help but feel connected to them, creating a tragic moment when the innocent and naïve Changez is brutally attacked by the National Front.
The Buddha of Suburbia offers a celebration of life, the joys it contains and all that we have to appreciate and the agency, like Karim, we have to carve out our own lives despite pressures, expectations and the Venus flytrap of suburbia. Ending in a fabulous dance sequence, The Buddha of Suburbia is a life-affirming and compelling ensemble piece, leaving the audience on a high, boogying out The Barbican.