Heer Ranjha (retold)

Heer Ranjha (retold) is an entertaining and moving production that places a classic Punjabi tale in modern times. It has good performances, clever staging and interesting characters, but suffers from a bit of indulgence and pacing problems.

Writer Shan Khan has taken the basic structure of the original work, crafted a believable story set in Glasgow and placed it against the backdrop of a successful chain of restaurants.

The play takes its time in moving forward, and every line isn't focused on developing the plot, which allows the characters to become more rounded and interesting. However, many scenes go on for far too long and some conversations could be trimmed without the loss of anything of importance.

The story is actually a bit more conventional than one is led to believe: boy meets girl, boy and girl overcome difficulties, boy looses girl, etc. There are other plot threads, including religious bigotry, racism and the theft of money (which isn't completely resolved), but they serve more as background for the would-be lovers.

And in stories like this, what matters most is whether the audience sides with the couple or not. In this instance, it certainly does. Both leads, Nalini Chetty as Heer and Taqi Nazeer as Ranjha, are very good, both individually and as a blossoming couple. Chetty has the meatier role of a spoilt woman who finds spiritual and emotional redemption through love, and she's a pleasure to watch. But it's Nazeer who has the more difficult job of playing an everyman-type. It's a bit of a thankless role due to the fact he mostly has to react to other, more active characters, but his normalcy is the very thing that makes one root for him.

The supporting players are more of a mixed bag, ranging from adequate to excellent. Amerjit Deu and Tania Rodrigues have some good moments as Heer's parents, and Manjot Sumal is very good as multiple characters. The chorus is made up of performers with varying experience, which is apparent at times when half are focused and committed to stage business and the other half a bit aloof. But Michael D'Cruze as Kaidu, Heer's strict and scheming uncle, has some of the play's finest dramatic moments, and shines.

Director Daljinder Singh uses the vast Tramway space well. She's much better and more successful with larger scenes as she is able to fill the space with Bollywood-style dance numbers and praying men, to name but a few of her images. However, smaller scenes feel a bit too spread out, many of the plot-driven moments feel a bit sluggish and some of the transitions bring dramatic tension to a halt. These, combined with the script's tendency to ramble, results in the production feeling a bit too long.

Still, Heer Ranjha (retold) is an effective piece of theatre, even if it is a bit too slow in places. It has many solid performances and a refreshingly multi-cultural flavour sadly lacking in much of modern theatre.