“Basmati rice will never catch on”
This one-person show by award-winning South African writer Rajesh Gopie is a coming-of-age story of Lall, the young narrator, about growing up in an Indian family of three generations, living under one roof in Natal (now KwaZulu Natal) during the apartheid system in the 80s, writes Linda Emmanuel.
The show opens with the tale of Rama and Sita, two of the most revered figures in Hindu mythology, symbolising the ideals of dharma, virtue, and devotion. Their story encapsulates the struggles of life, the importance of righteousness, and the power of love.
Jason Sardinha is just brilliant and a marvel to watch as he brings Lall’s extended family to the stage, from his mother, his father – with whom he has a difficult relationship – bickering aunties, a tough, humorous uncle who buckles in the face of apartheid-era police, his gentle cousin Amar who loves singing, dancing and wearing sari’s, his beloved grandmother who yearns to return to India one day, and kind Togo, the African maid brought in to look after the children and help in the household.
Jason is a confident and engaging performer who draws us in to the story; his movement, musicality and energy carries all through the play’s 85-minute running time.
The set is made up of natural material: a rattan room divider, wood furniture, a green circular rug used in the telling of the story of Rama and Sita, and a projection of mango trees that were planted to protect the house. It feels comfortable and is used to good effect to show the childhood home. When the forced evictions take place the set cleverly becomes a harsh, cold council flat, showing the family helpless in the face of unjust laws.
Clare Stopford directs this production with great sensitivity and understanding to the mix of cultural references of the apartheid-era South Africa, bringing out the humour and tragedy that affects many of us as we navigate a world of rules that makes us question who and what we are.
Out of Bounds is a show that helps us realise that even in the harshest of political environments, there is strength in our humanity to overcome as we learn to appreciate the challenging lessons that life often throws at us, and that love is the key to that. I highly recommend getting a ticket
Brockley Jack Studio Theatre until 2nd August 2025.
Booking and full details: http://www.brockleyjack.co.uk/
