West Midlands

Bhangra Nation: A New Musical – Birmingham Rep

2024 starts with a bhang! Dancing just got serious!

The Birmingham Rep presents the UK Premiere of Bhangra Nation. This is a sensational new show about finding your true self and explores the thrilling world of competitive Bhangra dancing. 

The story follows a university Bhangra dance team. When teammates Mary and Preeti’s Bhangra team qualifies for Nationals, they set off on opposing quests to dance to their own beat. Preeti believes that the team needs to stick to tradition, but Mary is passionate about shaking things up to belong to today.

Drawing from competitive Bhangra and mixing it with other Indian and Western dance forms, Bhangra Nation – A New Musical is a brash, intoxicating, and joyous musical comedy for today.

Photo: Craig-Sugden

We are instantly transported to the vibrancy and richness of South Asian culture from the costumes to the music and the language. This is such a vivacious, exuberant show that is a celebration of cultures. It was so lovely to see so many people from a variety of backgrounds in the audience, who looked like they were enjoying themselves. 

This musical has an incredible cast showcasing diversity and celebrating community, they are all brilliant. Siobhan Athwal as Sunita was incredible, a standout performance for me. She has exceptional comedic timing, and sublime acting skills and gave a powerful vocal performance. 

This is a moving yet funny musical. It takes influence from both Indian and Western cultures, fusing them to create a contemporary story that is reflective of so many experiences today. I enjoyed this production and found it very entertaining and a wonderful expression of culture.  

Bhangra Nation continues at The Birmingham Rep until Saturday 16th March. Tickets are available at the following link https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/bhangra-nation-a-new-musical/

If you are looking for a delicious meal to go with your visit? Look no further than our neighbours at Dishoom, who have crafted an amazing set menu to perfectly complement the show! Find out more at this link https://www.dishoom.com/bhangra-nation-dishoom-birmingham/

Reviewer: Priya Gupta

Reviewed: 1st March 2024

North West End UK Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Priya Gupta

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