“remains dangerously close to a school review in comparison with the bombardment of talent hitting London’s fringe theatre scene”
It would be a cheap remark to say that, after sitting through last night’s performance at The Space, one feels ‘fleeced’, but it is hard to connect the exciting publicity for this show with its underwhelming result. Written and directed by Georgia Hardcastle (co-founder, with her sister Sally, of Matipo Theatre Company), this work sets out to explore how we construct our identities and become part of the flock of society while feeling cheated by it. There is a certain youthful energy and enthusiasm and a voice trying to be heard but the play tells us what we already know and does it in ways which we have already seen.
We open on an Orwellian scene. Dressed in neutral grey, the cast walk robotically as numbers, until two of them discover human contact. They are punished, choosing either to become sheep or shepherds. Or neither. It’s not entirely clear. We move abruptly to a video game. As the characters join forces to complete the level, the knight and the unicorn think they might get on ‘in real life’… until they reveal their ages. And…? There follows a series of short, insubstantial sketches which relate, in some way, to identity, generations, social media, gender and relationships. But we know who would win a tug of war between professionals and the unemployed; we know children are regularly exposed to inappropriate online material and this affects their behaviour; we know social media feeds us trivia in the hope that we forget about serious issues, that art can be pretentious and that couples get caught in coercive situations. Apart from an interesting idea using movement to illustrate a couple’s transformation, the theatrical formulas have been seen time and time again. New writing has to find a fresh way to tell a story. And the message needs to be thought through and structured if it is to make sense. It is not enough to string ideas together and call it ‘spasmodic’.
In its favour, the end is nicely linked to the grey plodding of the beginning. We enjoy a brief element of emotion from Matty Noble, whose appearance throughout gives the show some welcome substance, and Owen Smith’s choreography produces refreshing moments of distraction. Nevertheless, ‘Fleeced’ remains dangerously close to a school review in comparison with the bombardment of talent hitting London’s fringe theatre scene.
“Ishq is intense love. It’s love that is beyond words. It isn’t just romantic love, Ishq is for everyone” – Suhaee Abro
Ishq translates as love. Ishq translates as passion. As the first Anglo Punjabi Musical, Ishq translates as a celebration between different cultures and the styles of music and dance that connect them.
The production is particularly significant as it marks 70 years of Pakistan’s independence. The story, the legend of Heer Ranjha, is compared to Shakespeare’s great love story ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Ishq tells the tale of young people from different social classes falling in love and subsequently causing upset within their families.
Personally, I was drawn into the importance of culture from the very beginning of the show. There are bright, bold colours everywhere – the costumes are beautiful and really reflect a sense identity as well as pride. The choreography, masterminded by Owen Smith and Suhaee Abro, is then married into this and the outcome is one of joy and celebration.
The set backdrop is stunning as it uses a brushstroke motion to literally paint a picture of a scene in the background. It is detail like this that keeps the audience transfixed by the scenery – where will the next scene take us?
Choreographer Suhaee gave us an insight into what the show has meant to her and what she hopes the audience can take away from it.
Suhaee, given that you have worked in many different areas such as dance, theatre and film, what kind of role has Ishq played in your career?
Dance wise, I am the co choreographer alongside Owen Smith. It has been very interesting to combine the Eastern and Western techniques and I believe that this is what helps us to grow as artists. I am more of a soloist. I usually prefer working in a more intimate setting as I enjoy looking at the little details, so I have never choreographed so many dancers at once but it has been amazing.
The production is a collaboration between British and Pakistani artists, what would you like your audience (especially younger people) to take away from this celebration of diversity?
I think it will be very inspiring for a lot of people to see the mix of South Asian and Western culture. Also the story features the character Heer, a woman standing up for the representation of other women, they shouldn’t just be seen as a married woman or someone’s sister or daughter, they are human beings with the right to love and do as they wish. They should not be forced to marry someone.
What does Ishq mean to you?
Ishq is intense love. It’s love that is beyond words. It isn’t just romantic love, Ishq is for everyone. You can be in love with your soul, you can be in love with the universe or your child. It’s for everyone. Ishq has been special and challenging from the beginning, I think it’s a beautiful fusion of English and Punjabi culture. We are wearing our costumes, representing our culture but we are speaking in English and I’ve never seen a production quite like that before.
