Frankie never wanted to be a star. Plucked from the concrete jungle of Milton Keynes she finds herself in the ruthless world of Bollywood living out the dreams of her best friend Goldy. Her chance encounter with Prem, a Bollywood director, skyrockets her into the limelight, starring in larger than life Bollywood productions alongside Raju – the King of Bollywood. During her ascendancy she topples Queen of Bollywood, Malika, and steals her crown. But all that glitters is not gold.
The movies that she’s idolised since childhood, thanks to her mother’s passion for Bollywood, look different from the other side. Frankie finds herself in a world dominated by the big families where nepotism and misogyny rule. She gets lost in the glitter, (oh so many) sequins and glamour of the movie business and falls foul to the pitfalls of stardom.
In true Bollywood style this production blends the outrageous and ridiculous with a story of self-discovery. The small cast makes this production feel like the audience is on the set of a big budget movie, with quick footed dancing and dramatic scene setting. The use of lighting and wind to transport the audience into the fantasy world of Frankie is very clever, and the slow-mo scenes add to the drama.
The production opens on Frankie, Laila Zaidi (Little Bits of Light, Starlight Express) and Goldy, Katie Stasi (Roles We’ll Never Play, Dick Whittington, Wizard of Oz, Betty Blue Eyes, No For an Answer) and their mediocre lives working in a local cinema. Their worlds change when Prem, Navin Kundra (Voice of Legends) bumps into Frankie as he hides from his adoring crowd during a film premiere.
Frankie is whisked away to India, where her British Indian beauty is admired, and problematically objectified, by choreographer Shona, Gigi Zahir (The Tempest, Fame Whore, Cinderella), and introduced to Raju King, Geet Sagar. As Frankie’s star begins to shine, she crosses paths and tempers with Raju’s amour Malika, Helen K Wint (Bronco Billy, Oklahoma!, Dirty Dancing UK Tour).
The process of Frankie losing herself dominates the production with her self-reclamation being packed into the last 20 minutes of the show. The production successfully showcases the depth of the nepotism and misogyny experienced by those working in Bollywood show business, but doesn’t leave quite enough space for the message that ‘Bollywood can do better’ as Director, Pravesh Kumar MBE, intended.
Some of the problematic attitudes displayed throughout the production are left unchallenged, and while Frankie ultimately does return to her roots, it feels like there are points left unmade.
Unfortunately the name does not indicate a nod to an 80’s theme, and the similarity to a popular 80’s band is purely coincidental. However this is definitely not a production where the cast Relax.
Packed with dance and musical numbers this is a high energy production with costume and scene changes galore. The ensemble, Tamara Verhoven Clyde, Nikita Johal, Hari Chandresh, Dhruv Ravi, Qoobi Robinson, Kuldeep Goswami, Tash Bacarese-Hamilton and Anna Maria Berber, really work hard throughout the show displaying boundless energy and enthusiasm while portraying multiple characters.
They’re accompanied by a guitarist and percussionist and a Hindi vocalist who were sometimes visible at the back of the stage.
True to the razzmatazz and drama of Bollywood productions, Frankie Goes to Bollywood is an action-packed musical danceathon that portrays the struggles of young actors thrust into the dark world of stardom and their struggle to maintain their sense of self.
Suitable for audiences aged 8+
More information about the show and ticket availability can be found here.
