Comic moments ensure many happy returns

Reporter: Paul Genty
Date published: 08 October 2014


Happy Birthday Sunita

Oldham Coliseum


RIFCO Arts’ previous shows at the Coliseum have been a bit hit and miss — “Britain’s Got Bangra” was great, “Break the Floorboards” not so much and this one falls somewhere between the two.

The subject is changing times — for the Asian community and for one family in particular, with the 40th birthday of daughter Sunita the catalyst for revelations.

Writer Harvey Virdi offers a rather modern Indian family — mum (Bollywood star Shabana Azmi on her first UK theatre tour) has just had a new and glamorous kitchen fitted and has fallen for the builder, Maurice (Russell Floyd), knowing full well her husband has gone to India to build a house for himself, his new girlfriend and their child, and isn’t coming back.

Even so, traditional values suggest mum shouldn’t be making overtures to a new man, so son Nav (Ameet Chana) and his designer-dressed wife Harleen (Goldy Notay) express their disapproval of the news that mum and new man are off to his house in Spain for a holiday. Then again the pair have secrets and problems of their own.

Which brings us to Sunita (Clara Indrani); 40 today, bored and lovelorn, she has carried a secret torch for her colleague in the planning department for almost a decade.

No wonder she’s miserable and moody and doesn’t want cake — or indeed any kind of celebration.

The oddness is that this angst is mostly quite funny. Like “Abigail’s Party”, from which it takes its inspiration, “Happy Birthday Sunita” mixes comic moments with family tension, keeping things light while making it clear there’s plenty going on beneath the surface.

The evening — only 85 minutes without an interval — nonethless takes some time to come to life and its main flaw is the lack of depth, with lots of back-story implied rather than explored.

It’s a shame, because this is a family with lots going on emotionally.

The play has rough edges and Pravesh Kumar’s direction isn’t the most natural at times, but this is a family that remains entertainingly interesting.





YOUNG Oldhamers flocked to the theatre to learn about performing arts from Bollywood star Shabana Azmi

The performance was part of a sponsorship evening for Aksa Homes, which supports the theatre. The housing group took a group of learners, guests and staff to enjoy the show, some food and to meet the shows cast Oldham Mayor, Councillor Fida Hussain, fellow councillors and members of the Asian business community were also invited.