I feel I’ve seen this production before. Somewhere. But I can’t work out whether it was this actual production, or whether the familiarity of its characters and plot just remind me of something else I’ve seen.

I know I’ve seen these characters before; the grandmother balanced on her imaged Zimmer frame had an uncanny resemblance to Meera Syal’s grandmother in The Kumars at No 42, the clever comic dialogue, and the cultural clashes which create the comic situations our hero stumbles into, remind me of BBC English sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me. And any one man show set in the New Zealand Indian community, involving multiple characterisation, a dairy, and a love story, will inevitably invite comparison with Indian Ink Theatre company’s Krishnan’s Dairy.

However, familiar does not mean unenjoyable, or in any way inept. D’Arranged Marriage, directed by Rajeev Varma and starring Tarun Mohanbhai, is a polished but simply presented drama about a sweet twenty-nine year old Indo-Kiwi, Sanjay Gupta, who works in his parents dairy, dreams of becoming a stand-up comic, and attempts to avoid a threatened arranged marriage. 

Mohanbhai is a seductively charming comic performer, who keeps his enthralled audience laughing. His physical control over his multiple dramatic personae is astonishing; clearly defined and richly compelling. Totally believable characters are evoked by a simple change of voice and posture, and without any change of costume or set. 

I am particularly impressed by the simplicity of the location transference between the family situations and the depiction of Gupta’s actual stand-up comedy performances. The lighting design is an integral part of this: clear, simple lighting states defined and distinguished time and place. Although, I do wonder if the lighting operator was unfamiliar with the show last night, as certain scenes seemed to end a tad abruptly with Mohanbhai speaking into darkness.

A show like this could very easily slip into parody, particularly since this touring show has been on the road for a while, but Mohanbhai shows no signs of being bored with his material, and lovingly displays his family of characters with real affection for all their quirks and oddities. I feel, however, that Mohanbhai enjoys portraying his fictional family so much that the narrative, which is a slim one, is slow to take off. 

Those Indian Guys formed this production company to: “explore Indian culture and mores through comedy and theatre.” I’m intrigued by this experience of their work, and I would be very interested to see future productions by Mohanbhai and Varma. Especially if they choose to move beyond an overemphasis on stereotypes, charming and lovable though they may be. 
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