Review: Surinderella, Stratford East

It’s a bit of an odd thing to be shouting “behind you!” before the holiday season has even kicked off, but Rifco Theatre Company’s Surinderella is every reason to celebrate any time of the year. This South Asian-inspired take on Cinderella is a wildly enjoyable offering of a much-loved pantomime.

Sonya Venugopal stars as a sweet, but down on her luck Surinder, whose family life is spiralling after a family tragedy. Her father is dead, her stepmother has taken off and left behind her stepsisters, played riotously by Andy Kumar (as Lovely) and Raheem Payne (as Bubbly). Her only friend is Basanti, a rather sprightly cow with a huge personality and strong opinions, and superb comic timing. 

Kumar and Payne are delightful as the campy ugly stepsisters. Their treatment of Surinder gives the audience plenty of opportunities to boo and hiss, but they’re also lovable characters who provide the show with its liveliest laugh-out-loud moments. The story has been given a modern twist, which sees the vain stepsisters vying for online fame via livestreams and selfies. The ostentatious ten-step beauty routines and giant ringlights make for great comedy, and their over-the-top audience interaction create some truly hilarious moments. What a pleasant surprise to learn also that Kumar doubles up as the show’s costume designer, the brains behind some of the evening’s most dazzling costumes. Please leave some talent for the rest of us, sir.

The meet-cute between Surinder and the Prince (Rory Dulku) takes place in the perfectly named woods, the Bolly-woods. He’s feeling trapped in his princely life and has escaped to the woods to find himself, and she’s accidentally in his orbit. Both Venugopal and Dulku have great singing voices and strong chemistry; their first meeting is endearing. Both bring an earnestness that keeps audiences rooting for them. The romance is nudged along by the Prince’s loyal Dandini, Babloo (Dhruv Ravi), and a cheeky Devi Godmother, played by the glamorous Harpz Kaur, a part-aunty who loves her glitter and poking her nose in burgeoning romances. 

And the audience is clearly entertained. With the cast, including a fantastic ensemble (Neha Eapen, Chiara Dev Galli, Sarjan Hira, Kuldeep Goswami, Aron Rhode), doing everything possible to keep the energy high, Surinderella never has a dull moment. There’s also something to be said about watching a well-worn fairytale with a Desi twist. 

Under Ameet Chana’s direction and Pravesh Kumar MBE’s script, the merging of the classic British panto with the glamorous spectacle of Bollywood feels completely seamless. The elements are reinvented to create fresh new ways of storytelling, elevated by catchy Bhangra-inspired song-and-dance numbers (music by British Desi legend PBN and choreography by Anna Maria Barber) and a gorgeous fairytale set (Christianna Mason). 

The result is an extravaganza full of heart and humour. Surinderella is an intercultural celebration that proves old stories can still feel new, while also reflecting the vibrant culture of modern Britain. 

And please, can we have more Bhangra in musicals?

Written by Pravesh Kumar MBE
Directed by Ameet Chana
Music and Lyrics by PBN
Original Design by Mark Walters for Imagine Theatre
Costume Design by Andy Kumar
Choreography by Anna Maria Barber
Lighting Design by Joe Price
Musical Director: Hinal Pattani
Sound Design by Dominic Brennan
Wigs & Hair Design by Marta Bagnoli
Additional Set Design by Christianna Mason
Additional Cloth Illustrator by Lucy Fowler
Draughtperson: Hannah Postlethwaite

Surinderella runs at Stratford East until Saturday 31 October, concluding its UK tour.