17 replies to this topic

[armadillo]

Has anyone else seen this yet? I enjoyed it though it probably works best if you haven't seen The Family Way since it's hardly adapted at all (just some name changes and film references changed to Bollywood and  a few cultural references and updatings  eg obviously they couldn't use the device of not having a bathroom that features in the original). It was nice to see a very different audience at the NT (I assume the Bollywood references were quite sharp since people seemed to find them very funny though it's not something I know much about), I thought the only real problem was the resolution about the house seemed slightly false - I understood why the young couple were living with the parents but then it seemed that the money to buy them a house was there all the time  (do 21 year olds really think that there are no options between staying at home and buying a house?). But that aside, I found it a very enjoyable evening and thought the translation from working class white family to working class Indian immigrant family worked very well.

[foxa]

I'm looking forward to it.  I know next to nothing about it (haven't even heard of The Family Way. Maybe I should brush up on my Bollywood knowledge?

[armadillo]

The Family Way

[foxa]

Saw this on Thursday evening.  Thanks for the Family Way info/link, Armadillo.  It was a rather odd play and knowing that it had been adapted from a rather dated one made sense (also I ran into someone involved with the production and I was able to use that nugget of knowledge in order to sound marginally less vapid....) I was quite up about this evening and I loved the live Asian music that was playing in the foyer beforehand (more and more, I think the National is really getting the idea of that space being for events and creating a happening vibe.)  But for me, the play wasn't funny enough for a comedy or moving enough for a drama or insightful enough for anything else.  There were some good moments (I liked all the odd stuff about the man who accompanied the older couple on their honeymoon and there was some good knockabout stuff about the young couple trying to have some privacy) and I liked the design, but it didn't build to anything special and seemed a bit over-long as well.  Two of my friends discussed leaving at the interval so that wasn't great and the second half seemed a bit of a let down.  It ended up being a bit of an 'eh?' evening.

[coated peanuts]

But for me, the play wasn't funny enough for a comedy or moving enough for a drama or insightful enough for anything else

That pretty much sums it up for me. I could see why part of the audience was terribly exited to see Harish Patel, he was excellent as the father. I was well enough entertained, but couldn't help thinking that it's all a bit meh.

It's worth seeing some of the performances and a few scenes, but it's not earth-shattering theatre.

[armadillo]

meh?

[josh]

meh?

Average, blah. The equivalent of a verbal shrug.

[coated peanuts]

Oh, nice explanation, thanks Josh - my brain was too tired to come up with anything more eloquent than meh.

[MaxCady]

I watched this lastr night. Just wanted to say that i loved every minute. Everyone gave a great performance,epecially Haresh Patel. It was also nice an  audience that was made up of English & Asian people.