Rifco Theatre Company in partnership with Watford Palace Theatre and HOME Manchester has this week announced the headline cast for its most spectacular and ambitious musical to date.
Laila Zaidi plays the title role of Frankie. Frankie feels alone and wishes she had a family. She loves watching Bollywood films because they remind her of her mother and a place where she can belong. As she climbs up the ladder of stardom, she realises that she has to sacrifice more and more of herself to get to the top.
Helen K. Wint plays Malika, Malika is a Bollywood starlet who knows that her reign is limited. She has made it to the top by playing the game and now waits for the right opportunity to make her next move in this ruthless world of men. Shakil Hussain plays Raju King. Raju is known as the King of Bollywood and has reigned for over 25 years. He has done whatever he needed to maintain his position at the top and has many dark secrets. Raju loves fame, adoration, and power
Gigi Zahir plays Shona Chatterji. Shona (they/them) is the most sought-after choreographer in the industry. They will do whatever it takes to survive and stay at the top, and the secrets they know will keep them there. If they like you, they can be a great friend. Navin Kundra plays Prem Kapoor. Prem is an independent filmmaker who comes from a family of filmmakers. He wants to prove himself and change the world with his stories, but he feels lost in the world of mediocre Bollywood cinema.
Katie Stasi plays Goldy Singh. Goldy is Frankie’s cousin and friend who works with her at the cinema. She dreams big but struggles to take action. She is desperate to increase her Instagram followers and thinks it is the key to fame.
Conceived by Artistic Director of Rifco, Pravesh Kumar MBE, Frankie Goes to Bollywood is a spectacular all-singing-all-dancing tale of heroes and villains, with all the costumes and the spectacle of a Bollywood feature film. It tells the tale of being British in Bollywood and explores what it takes to get to the top.
The musical will premiere at Watford Palace Theatre, running from Thu 25 Apr – Sat 11 May 2024 followed by a 10-day run at HOME Manchester Wed 15 May – Sat 25 May 2024, and then a national tour.
Frankie never wanted to be a star, all she’s ever really wanted is a close and loving family – but after a chance encounter with an up-and-coming director, she finds herself transported to Bollywood, cast in a movie and thrust into the limelight. Might the Bollywood world provide her with the family and community she has always dreamed of? Suddenly Frankie is immersed in the world of fame and fortune but as she climbs the sparkling staircase of stardom, each step makes her question what she is willing to do, or be subjected to, for success.
Drawing inspiration from both traditional Bollywood music and the best of western musical theatre, the music for Frankie goes to Bollywood is a carefully integrated hybrid – designed to appeal to lovers of the Bollywood genre and also lovers of a good old West End extravaganza.
Bollywood as an industry generates over £2 billion a year, and globally the films have an audience of 1.3billion. In the UK a successful Bollywood film can be expected to take as much as £4 million – so it’s little wonder that the glamorous lure of Bollywood stardom appeals to many British-South Asian young people. Frankie goes to Bollywood is inspired by those true stories of young men and women who make the journey to India to become Brits in Bollywood.
Alongside a couple of very well-known faces in Bollywood who hold British citizenship including Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt, there are also dozens more actors, both male and female born in Britain who have established successful careers. Frankie goes to Bollywood is inspired by many of their stories, and by Pravesh’s own experience of being a Brit in Bollywood, and by what he observed in terms of British-born women’s experience in the industry.
Pravesh Kumar:
“A strong theme throughout my work has been platforming the experiences of working class British South Asians, and I really drew on my inside knowledge of Bollywood in this case. Frankie Goes To Bollywood is absolutely a celebration of everything that is glorious and spectacular about Bollywood and Indian heritage but I also wanted to bring to light the often-formidable circumstances young women face in particular. It was important to me to draw attention to, and question certain elements about the culture.
“These include the double standards regarding modesty and the large and uncomfortable age difference between the male and female performers. Throughout my life and career, I have developed a huge love for Bollywood and its traditions but want my plays to have a realistic point of view and analysis alongside the celebratory element. And I think it’s vital that, as artists, we keep questioning and holding up a mirror to society.”
Theatre Dates
Watford Palace Theatre Thu 25 Apr – Sat 11 May 2024 – PRESS NIGHT 30th April
HOME Manchester Wed 15 May – Sat 25 May 2024
Beck Theatre, Hayes Tue 28 May – Sat01 Jun 2024
Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch – Tue 04 June – Sat 08 June
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Tue 11 Jun – Sat 15 Jun 2024
Alhambra, Bradford – Tue 18 Jun – Sat22 Jun 2024
Theatre Royal, Windsor Tue 25 Jun – Sat 29 Jun
Belgrade Theatre Coventry Tue 02 Jul – Sat 06 Jul 2024
New Theatre, Cardiff – Tues 16 Jul – Sat20 Jul 2024
