Tag Archives: Nikki Patel

“The Importance of Being Earnest” from the Lawrence Batley Theatre and The Dukes

This super show from Yasmeen Khan is only loosely based on the Oscar Wilde classic. It is a strong play that stands on its own, while knowledge of the original adds humour. Much of the fun comes from relocating the action ‘up North’ – what a great idea – but there’s plenty of intelligent satire, too.

Staging act one on a film set is a neat way of dealing with Wilde’s engagement with themes of artifice and style. Here, Algy and Jack – now Jamil – are both actors. While Tom Dixon and Gurjeet Singh do a good job in the roles, it’s a small shame Khan decided not to follow Wilde and make both characters equally witty – the point about access to such careers would still stand. Instead, Jamil is endearing rather than amusing.

As with the recent version of Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Grey from Henry Filloux-Bennett, social media plays a big part in the show. Khan raises good points and gets some jokes from her concerns. Jamil is a vlogger, under the pseudonym of Earnest of course, and his love interest, rechristened Gul, is glued to her phone, which makes the role rather flat (despite Nikki Patel’s efforts). Zoe Iqbal’s Safina, with her self-realisation and “manifesting”, is very funny. But both female characters seem weaker than the ones Wilde wrote, their scene together is disappointing.

Mina Anwar and Melanie Marshall in The Importance of Being Earnest
Mina Anwar and Melanie Marshall

It is with smaller roles that the show takes off. Both Miss Prism, a life coach, and Lady Bracknell, or rather Ms Begum, a hard-nosed businesswoman, make strong roles for Melanie Marshall and Mina Anwar (who also directs). There’s a lovely cameo appearance for Divina de Campo and a good part for Harriet Thorpe as Algy’s agent. Best of all is the appearance of a director, and the performance of this new role from Paul Chahidi. Wanting to workshop with Jamil, excited by his dropped aitches and the “pain” of his heritage, such sharp satire takes us to heart of Khan’s concerns.

Comparisons to the source material are only part of the story. Kahn hasn’t just set the action in a different place. By including characters of South Asian descent – with a wicked sense of humour – she raises plenty of issues and claims her own voice, showing style and substance at the same time. I’m sure Wilde would approve.

Until 4 May 2021

www.importanceofbeingearnest.com

“Future Conditional” at the Old Vic

Marking Matthew Warchus’ first production in charge at the Old Vic, Tamsin Oglesby’s new play is literally about education, education, education, with three views of schools crammed into one, like an overcrowded classroom. The evening is entertaining and feels fresh, and one or two parts might have passed on their own, but cumulatively the play doesn’t score highly.

Lucy Briggs-Owen (Hettie) and Natalie Klamar (Suzy) in Future Conditional. Photo credit Manuel Harlan
Lucy Briggs-Owen and Natalie Klamar

There are those pushy mums at the primary school gates, desperate for their kids to get on. OK, predictable, but the social observations are funny. There’s a strong turn from Lucy Briggs-Owen, as her character justifies going into the private system, and heartfelt angst from Natalie Klamar with a struggle to stay state. There’s a stilted amazement at class differences – are the school gates one of the few places people mix? I suppose I’m not qualified to say. The scenes are fun if slight.

Then there’s an education committee, a talking shop that Oglesby gets more laughs from. Warchus comes into his own here with the direction far tighter than the writing. Talk about shooting fish in a barrel: the arguments are so simplistic and the many characters so transparent it’s almost insulting to an audience. Ironically, the chances of learning anything about education, or being challenged in your thinking, are far too slim.
Rob Brydon (Crane) in Future Conditional. Photo credit Manuel Harlan (2)
Future Conditional’s most moving narrative has an emotional topicality, with the story of a Malala-like refugee from the Taliban, played impressively by Nikki Patel. She is joined by a woefully underused Rob Brydon as her inspirational teacher, sadly reduced to a trite little speech about how teachers are societal scapegoats. Patel’s Alia is the only character to appreciate learning and her story is uplifting. That her destination is, you’ve guessed it, Oxford, points to the play’s flaw: Warchus and the young cast have plenty of energy and create an exciting feel, but Ogelsby tries to tackle so much that originality goes to the back of the class.

Until 3 October 2015

www.oldvictheatre.com

Photos by Manuel Harlan