The question of what is family, and specifically where our loyalties lie when the needs of our birth family conflict with those of our dearest and closest associates, lies at the heart of Miss Meena and the Masala Queens.
The joy is that the question does not overshadow a production that sparkles with life, relatable characters and sequins – all delivered in a Birmingham accent.
It’s a big show that’s intimate. And an intimate show that’s big.
The subject matter – the relationships between a group of South Asian drag queens of different backgrounds and generations, and a young man who joins them, seeking to find his identity – might seem more suitable for niche audiences in the smaller West Yorkshire Playhouse Courtyard Theatre, and the sheeting over banks of seats in the cavernous Quarry auditorium could suggest compromises in the staging. But when the energetic Rifco company break into their Bollywood-inspired dance numbers they need every inch of a big stage to do justice to the performance, and last night’s audience loved it.
Raj Ghatak takes the title role of Meena, the driving force behind a down-at-heel gay club that provides a refuge for a certain older generation of Asian Brummies who prefer glitz to grit and the company of others who can appreciate a well-tied sari and a really fabulous pair of earrings.
But a safe haven doesn’t pay the bills, and Jamie Zubairi as long-serving bar manager Munni (see what they did there?) is frustrated Miss Meena’s club isn’t coining it in by moving with the times, welcoming hen parties and straight couples out for a bit of cultural tourism.
Enter teenager Shaan (Nicholas Prasad) who likes dressing up in his mum’s clothes, get the message that Meena’s dad isn’t very well, and the stage is ready for a complex and nuanced set of relationships to play out.
If that all sounds a bit worthy Vedi Roy as Pinky and Harvey Dhadda as Preetho are on hand with the light relief.
A couple of builders with a not-so-secret desire to swap high viz for drag, their efforts to develop, perfect and eventually perform breathtaking Bollywood numbers were greeted with warm opening night applause. Ali Ariaie takes on two roles; wicked landlord Ranjit, and a much more subtle and moving part as Meena’s younger brother Kabir.
Harvey Virdi’s script makes us care about every character. We know where the story is going, but we want to know how the participants get there. Pravesh Kumar’s direction deftly moves between light and shade, including some very dark moments early in the second half, whilst never forgetting the allure of the glitter ball. It all culminates in a clap-along anthem that was inevitable, but still manages to surprise in its cultural context.
Credit must also go to the backstage crew who manage to turn around some amazing quick changes with never a wig askew.
In announcements before and after the show the production company Rifco Arts went out of their way to stress their role in developing and nurturing young British Asian talent; details of how to become a Dost (Friend), Cousin, Auntie or Uncle to the company can be found on their website www.rifcoarts.com
Miss Meena and the Masala Queens runs at the West Yorkshire Playhouse Quarry Theatre until Saturday 17 June