'Hindu Times' is a world premiere radio play (running time 66 minutes) written by Jaimini Jethwa, which has been produced by The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh and The Pitlochry Festival Theatre, in association with Naked Productions.
We find ourselves on Scotland's east coast, or more specifically, Dundee, as a couple of local youths attempt to chat up a wee lassie. Or at least, that's how it seemed on the surface. We soon find out, however, that the wee lassie is non other than the goddess Lakshmi who has 'gone rogue', and in dereliction of her godly duties, and so, the two lads, aka Vishnu and Brahma, have been sent on a mission to bring her back into the fold in order to preserve the inter-stellar harmony.
Yet, as she persudes the two lads to break into a local Spar grocery shop and they end up on the floor drinking all the booze, it begins to seem less and less likely that Vishnu will ever get his wife, Lakshmi, back.
We find ourselves on Scotland's east coast, or more specifically, Dundee, as a couple of local youths attempt to chat up a wee lassie. Or at least, that's how it seemed on the surface. We soon find out, however, that the wee lassie is non other than the goddess Lakshmi who has 'gone rogue', and in dereliction of her godly duties, and so, the two lads, aka Vishnu and Brahma, have been sent on a mission to bring her back into the fold in order to preserve the inter-stellar harmony.
Yet, as she persudes the two lads to break into a local Spar grocery shop and they end up on the floor drinking all the booze, it begins to seem less and less likely that Vishnu will ever get his wife, Lakshmi, back.
The script is well-written and entertaining [my favourite line being, "yeah, I'm a veggie. I only eat vegetarian animals."], and the pace is kept light and moving throughout. Sensibly directed by Caitlin Skinner, Jethwa's dialogue sparkles. My only concern is that the brogue is very thick, and so, one really needs to listen very carefully to their accents / dialect unless of course you are familiar with the more CHAV-side of the Dundee lingo.
Rehanna MacDonald, Adam McNamara, and Daniel Portman play their roles with unerring realism despite the fantastic and surreal nature of the plot, and you do find yourself being completely drawn in by this premise. And as the two lads mix up the Hindu legends in order to try and find the correct elixir / method to bring Lakshmi back in through the 'portal', they ask for a swan, a tortoise, a mountain, a serpent, a sea of milk, and goodness knows what else, the question is, will their potion work? Will they manage to bring her back in time? Will she change and recognise who she is? Or will they all be condemned to an eternity of low-life Dundee dwelling?
"Close your eyes, fall in love, and stay there."
"Close your eyes, fall in love, and stay there."
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25/4/21
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