A stirring show in need of a few tweaksRating
Good!
Saaj Raja hasn’t quite grown up into the man he was expected to. Throughout the 70 minutes of this solo show, we get a glimpse into the good Gujarati Indian boy his family wanted him to be, and the flawed human being he actually became. We follow Raja from his early days growing up in Crawley, with two Indian parents full of love and support (with hidden conditions on both), right through his university days in London and the wild nights that come to dominate his brief financial career in Hong Kong.
This is a life-story through and through, and across the duration, Raja is an engaging and commanding performer, charming as he portrays his larger-than-life main character, slipping effortlessly into multi-roling the wide array of figures who make up the world of the play. Putting the finishing touches on that world are Lighting Designer Abhinav Mishra and Sound Designer Pierre Flasse, with Mishra showing immense talent by getting the most out of Lowmac’s robust lighting rig and Flasse delicately painting each scene and transition with fitting ambience. Bringing all this together seamlessly is Scott Le Crass’ direction, which always feels in control as it gets the best from Raja’s script.
It’s in this script that the show’s only flaws lie. While the plot begins well with a very grounded overview of Raja’s home life and his family, and no punches pulled on the discriminatory attitudes some of them hold thanks to what Raja calls the BMW rule about partners (no blacks, no Muslims, no whites), the story does go off the rails once we land in Hong Kong with Raja. What feels like it’s going to be the last third of the play ends up featuring more than half the action, often in a jumbled fashion.
We’re first taken into Raja’s personal life and the ups and downs he has through his relationship with another English expat, whose non-Indian heritage sparks his family’s disapproval and leads to the implosion of their relationship. It’s all very involved, but then we’re abruptly dragged back to the start of Raja’s time in Hong Kong as he details his working life, and how that also subsequently fell apart. These distinct narratives feel like they should be delivered in tandem and not as separately as they are.
Finally, the ending leaves something to be desired, as although we hit an expected low point narratively and find a way up and out with Raja, this resolution comes in a way that feels sudden and disconnected from the drawn-out Hong Kong sections that precede it. It’s a shame for the show to lose its way as it closes, but nonetheless, all the fundamentals in terms of performance, direction and design are as strong here as the best work out there. With some tweaks to the final act, this play will easily be able to stand alongside them.
Written and Performed by Saaj Raja
Directed by Scott Le Crass
Produced by Jess Fowler
Sound Design by Pierre Flasse
Lighting Design by Abhinav Mishra
Bad Indian has completed its performances at LowMAC (formerly The Glitch) but continues on a short international tour.
