There’s nothing like theatrical impact, and this adaptation of the Deborah Moggach novel which inspired the hit movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel makes just such an impact as soon as we enter the auditorium. Colin Richmond (one of my favourite stage designers) has created a spectacular set that is rich with detail and immediately transports us to the decaying grandeur of the hotel. Lit beautifully by Oliver Fenwick, the space is cleverly designed to take us smoothly between interiors and exteriors, and a susurrating soundscape completes the effect.
We are in Bangalore, a city that we soon learn has recently imported at least two things from Britain – call centres and society’s castoffs. The latter come in the form of a group of senior citizens whose home country no longer knows what to do with, so here they are in a country that respects its elders and takes care of them. Enter Sonny Kapoor, played by Nishad More, a young man whose love life is taking a back seat while he tries to support his widowed mother (Rekha John-Cheriyan) in running the hotel which is their family business. The shabby state of the establishment is putting guests in short supply, so Sonny suggests turning it into a residential home for expat seniors.
The narrative that unfolds is told almost as a series of overlapping vignettes, so rather than telling a linear story it presents itself in more episodic fashion. Each of the residents, both indigenous and migratory, has a back story to be told. Moggach has created them all for different purposes, and although some are a little two-dimensional, their personalities and backgrounds bounce off one-another to create a pleasing collage of character studies that form a picture as colourful as a piece of Indian embroidery.
Between Belinda Lang’s abrasive and lustful Madge and Tessa Peake Jones’ simpering Evelyn are Muriel, played with glorious down-to-earth charm by Marlene Sidaway and the apparently dotty Dorothy, who is perhaps one of the show’s most finessed performances in a wonderful turn from Paola Dionisotti. Bumbling amongst them are two slightly unforgiving roles for Paul Nicholas and Graham Seed as Douglas and Norman, the former a dutiful sidekick to Julie Wood’s insufferably self-satisfied Jean and the latter a hopeless would-be womaniser.
Whilst the remaining characters provide much of the humour, the heart of the show comes mainly from Muriel and Dorothy. Muriel, whose working life has been spent as a cleaner, forms an unlikely friendship with the servant Mohan, whilst Dorothy’s seemingly strange behaviour turns out to be firmly grounded in memories of a genuine past, which results in an emotional reunion. Meanwhile Evelyn finds a niche for herself at the nearby call centre, simultaneously helping to resolve some of Sonny’s problems in reconciling his mother to his choice of girlfriend.
Whilst the translation to the stage might not explore the characters in as much depth as a novel can achieve, the intimacy of playing these people’s stories out on a single set, without the cinematic sweep of a movie to distract from them, has a great deal of charm. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is both a wonderful vehicle for a group of very fine character actors and a funny, warm-hearted evening of theatre, and when it is done with this much style and attention to detail it is a winner.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is at the Playhouse until 25th March with limited availability remaining, before continuing its national tour with dates through till June.
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| The cast of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel - Picture © Mikal Ludlow |
Star rating – 4 stars
This review was originally written for publication by Good News Liverpool
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