Theatre - The Trouble with Asian Men

The hit comedy theatre - based on real life testaments - reveals the experiences of British Asian men through their own eyes, in their own voices, and with all their vivacity, concerns and humour. So are they macho men or metrosexual guys? Mummy’s boys tied to the apron strings, or husbands under the thumb?

What is the trouble with Asian men? Judging by this exuberant trawl, it’s their mothers. But that’s not all, not by a long chalk. Tamasha’s edgey vex pop exercise gives a wide ranging glimpse that is certainly hugely entertaining in its presentation but has a serious purpose in trying to counter some of the more toxic stereotypes doing the rounds. He has also appeared in the 2004 film Colour Me Kubrick, playing a club announcer, and on various stand-up shows on TV.

Created entirely from real life interviews, Tamasha lift the lid on today’s Asian men in this revealing and often hilarious show.

Tamasha, of course, are best known for such successes as East is East, Fourteen Songs Two Weddings and a Funeral and Strictly Dandia - crossover hits that have reshaped the theatrical landscape. Earlier this year, they ran slightly aground in their adaptation of Rohinton Mistry’s epic Indian novel, A Fine Balance. With ‘The Trouble with Asian Men’, though, they’re back doing what they do best - creating and devising their own work.

In fact, Sudha Bhuchar, Kristine Landon-Smith and Louise Wallinger’s piece started out last year at artsdepot, the fringe venue in North Finchley.

The Trouble with Asian Men uses a powerful verbatim technique; an approach that involved interviewing 191 people and editing over 150 of tape. The results – in a kind of aural script – are then relayed to and recreated by the actors during the performance.

The stories recounted by Tamasha’s talented quartet of actors have been widely applauded by audiences across the country; the subtle digs and implications that emerged - as the actors switch genders, attitudes and accents – have struck home with both male and female theatre-goers.

The result is at once hilarious and damning - reflections often come through the revealingly naughty testimonies of wives and girlfriends - but also surprisingly poignant. The picture that emerges is of an identity crisis - young men struggling to cope with dual inheritances, stimulations and pressures. “We live a double life”, says one character, “we’ve very good liars.”

All theatre, you could argue, is manipulation. ‘The Trouble with Asian Men’ is certainly artful. But it’s truth comes through, loud and clear. Glorious, not to say essential viewing.

The Trouble with Asian Men, created by Sudha Bhuchar, Kristine Landon-Smith and Louise Wallinger, is presented by Tamasha and the artsdepot.

See www.tamasha.org.uk for tour dates.

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