Review: THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA, Barbican Theatre

"I’ve seen it before, and I’ll see it again… Just little bits of history repeating.” This Shirley Bassey vocal may not feature on the soundtrack of this stage version of The Buddha of Suburbia, but you can’t help but bring it to mind as you watch events unfold: strikes, political turmoil, far right aggression - staples of the 1970s, but all too familiar to modern audiences.

It follows the exploits of Karim Amir (“an Englishman born and bred, almost”), as he navigates love, work, bigotry and a complicated family life in south London from 1976 to 1979. It’s set against the backdrop of the UK lurching towards Thatcherism, but still somehow manages to retain the colourfulness and flamboyance that’s expected of an Emma Rice production. Balancing a host of dark themes with humorous touches and quirky props is an art form in itself (especially one rather ‘fruity’ scene), which Rice and her creative team have got down to a tee; this approach ensures that nothing important gets glossed over, but the audience still ends the evening with a spring in their step.

There are quite a few ideas in play, cramming in as much of the novel as possible; naturally, a few episodes are slimmed down and characters omitted, but by having Karim as the de facto narrator of the piece it’s possible to jump to explanatory flashbacks on occasion - this doesn’t hold up the overall flow of the piece, and really helps to provide extra depth to the characters. The ensemble work in several of these sequences is exemplary.

Even as the themes get darker and Karim wrestles with some ethical dilemmas, the vibrancy of the production remains intact. Rachana Jadhav’s set design is an intricate, dual-level masterpiece, which allows characters to appear from nowhere - as well as allow action to take place in more than one location at the same time. Vicki Mortimer’s costume design and Jai Morjaria’s lighting design are also visual treats, whilst Simon Baker’s sound and music contributions make the production feel even more dynamic.

As much as it interrogates social history and current affairs, the show also naturally revolves around theatre itself. Whilst it gently pokes fun at some of the more ‘luvvy’ aspects of the industry, both Kureishi and Rice’s love for the arts comes shining through as Karim starts to find his feet in that world.

Dee Ahluwalia leads the cast supremely as Karim, taking the audience on a journey with him; he’s confident and assured, as well as being charmingly susceptible to some of his co-stars’ comedic hijinks. It’s impossible to single out many more individuals in a company this impressive, although it’s definitely worth pointing out Ankur Bahl’s entrance as Karim’s father Haroon - and Ewan Wardrop is unforgettable with banana in hand later on. Katy Owen flits between flighty Eleanor and downtrodden Margaret with ease, evoking sympathy and eliciting laughter seemingly at will.

If you like your social commentary with a dash of outrageousness, then this is the show for you. Another party popper of a hit from Emma Rice and her Wise Children.

The Buddha of Suburbia is at the Barbican Theatre until 16 November

Photo credit: Steve Tanner