The Buddha Of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi, Swan Theatre, 16 May 2024

To round off our short break in Stratford, we had arranged to see The Buddha of Suburbia.

I read this novel “back in the day” and remember really wanting to like it and enjoying the subject matter yet not liking it all that much as a novel. I also recalled that it had been turned into a TV series “back then”, which I didn’t see but which I imagined might have been a better medium for the story than the novel.

Thus, all those months ago when we planned this trip, I told Janie that I fancied seeing this show and she needed little persuading.

We are so glad we chose it.

The Swan was an excellent setting for this production

Here is a link to the RSC materials on this show – a comprehensive pack which spares me a great deal of trouble, as I need not repeat this stuff!

The reviews were already out by the time we got to this one, not that we are raving about it just because the critics seemed so impressed. Here is an unfiltered link to reviews that should find good and bad ones – they seem pretty much all to be good ones.

We pretty much agree with the main points that flow from the reviews. On the whole we are not mad about long shows, but this seemed a breeze to us despite being close to three hours long (including the interval).

The 1970s look and soundscape was a trip down memory lane for us, much as it was for Hanif Kureishi I suppose. The main sentiment is joyous celebration of the era and coming of age, but there was plenty to think about too, in terms of the ugly aspects of that era, not least overt racism.

We sat in the front row, which got us caught up in the one small piece of audience participation in this show. That was mostly directed at Janie but also, in the end, also at me.

Maybe I shouldn’t have worn THAT shirt.

Still, we survived the experience and anyway Janie and I are used to people laughing at us.

At the time of writing there is as yet no sign of a West End transfer, but surely this wonderful piece will lend itself to a decent and successful run in The Big Smoke.

Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation by Tim Crouch, Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, 14 September 2019

This is a fascinating and original piece of theatre.

The audience sits in a circle. Each member of the audience receives a book, which we are taken through as the performance goes on. At some stages of the performance, audience members are asked to read lines or passages of text.

If it sounds weird, that’s because it is weird. But it is a play; the performances are excellent and memorable.

The Royal Court’s resource on this play/production can be found here.

Tim Crouch

Tim Crouch is an interesting playwright and performer. We have seen his work before; Adler & Gibb which we really liked, plus The Author which we found impenetrable.

This evening’s short (70 minute) piece was not impenetrable but you did need to interpret pictures form the book as well as the words to get the gist of the story. I enjoyed that part of the process more than Janie did.

I was also quite comfortable reading out loud a bit, which I did, while Janie scrupulously avoided eye contact with the performers to be sure that she wasn’t picked for reading out loud.

I am glad that I bought a copy of the book – which is available in paperback to buy – not the hardbacks lent out for performance – because the illustrations as well as the words are a pleasure to look at again and again.

The reviews, from Edinburgh a few weeks earlier and subsequently The Royal Court have deservedly been very good – click here to find them.

Unusual and well worth seeing.