Frankie Goes to Bollywood — visually spectacular, but overladen

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Some performances are so visually spectacular you can almost forgive a cumbersome narrative. This is the case for Frankie Goes to Bollywood — an all-singing, all-dancing, melodramatic extravaganza. Seasoned with a dash of everything, it’s how Bollywood’s “Masala” films go. But this could have been left to simmer on the hob for a little longer.
Every box on the Bollywood blockbuster checklist is ticked off in quick succession. There’s the dead mother that gives our British-Indian protagonist, Frankie (Laila Zaidi), her sorrowful backstory. Frankie reaches Bollywood superstardom (without much effort) to make the aforementioned dead mother proud. She becomes disillusioned but then harnesses the power of feminism to find herself before the final curtain call. Oh, and she does it all while twirling in bejewelled lenghas or having the train of her saree blowing in the fan-induced wind. Costume is where Pravesh Kumar’s production for Rifco Theatre Company excels.
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The lurch to hit all stops is a little chaotic and as a result some depth is lost. Friends become enemies and then become friends again within the space of 15 minutes. But there are moments of brilliance. When Frankie meets her assistant in Mumbai she expresses surprise that she can speak English. Her assistant quips “a slight side effect of Empire, ma’am” to the whoops and cheers of desi families in the audience. The punching up continues with well-judged takedowns of nepotism in Bollywood and the infantile men it protects. Ranju (Geet Sagar) is the perfect embodiment of one of those men. Sagar’s toupee-wearing, mummy’s boy is a delightful villain with excellent comic timing.
Zaidi’s fluid movements and hip-popping mesh seamlessly with an energetic dance ensemble bouncing through a multitude of dance numbers. Lighting is skilfully deployed throughout, particularly when conveying the moments where Frankie is feeling overwhelmed. And although Zaidi’s powerful vocals sometimes end up as a screech, the classical Indian singing is kinder to the ears. Navin Kundra’s Prem, the Bollywood director wanting to shake up the industry, faultlessly glides up and down scales, providing moments of enchanting serenity in an otherwise frenetic display. ★★★☆☆To August 18, Queen Elizabeth Hall SE1, southbankcentre.co.uk
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