“Soft, silly escapism”
Transporting us from gloomy Huddersfield to the crowded, humid streets of Mumbai, “Frankie Goes to Bollywood” is a production that never lets up – energetic choreography, fabulous costumes and bright lights fill the stage throughout, making this a feast for the eyes. Many of the songs take their inspiration from Bollywood films, with some songs being sung (or lip-synced) in Hindi, whilst classic Bollywood tropes (slow-mo entrances for main characters, over-the-top action sequences) are all featured in some excellent tongue-in-cheek moments. So far, so fun, but the plot can feel a little flimsy at times, and certain moments don’t land as well as they should, whilst the message and purpose of the musical gets a bit lost amidst too many ideas.
The story begins with Frankie (Sarah Pearson) working in a cinema in Huddersfield and longing for something new. Through flashbacks, we learn that her mother passed away when Frankie was young, and it is this lingering grief that acts as the main driver throughout the show, her mother’s love of Bollywood films continually playing in to Frankie’s motivations. Through sheer chance, Frankie meets Bollywood director Prem (Akshay Datta), whose new film is receiving its premiere at the cinema that night. Why Prem’s film is premiering in Huddersfield is anyone’s guess, but this is just the first of many plot points that will crumble under the briefest scrutiny. Of course, Prem decides to cast Frankie as the lead in his next film, and just like that, we are whisked away to Mumbai, where Frankie finds herself thrown headfirst into the glitzy but not-so-glamourous life of Bollywood.
Pearson takes us on a hell of a journey through this show – the Frankie that we begin with feels very different to the one we meet later in the second act, as she finds herself sucked ever further into the life of a celebrity actor, struggling to cope with her newfound fame. The strong Huddersfield accent is dropped slightly, only for Pearson to heavily lean back into it when reunited with school friend Goldy (Katie Stasi – more on her later). It is moments like this that call back to Frankie’s origins, and make her easier to identify with, providing the crucial link between the cinema-worker and the Bollywood star. It is testament to Pearson’s acting that the character feels so different and yet remains recognisably the same person throughout.
For her cinematic debut, Frankie is paired up with Bollywood heart-throb Raju King (Ankur Sabharwal), who struts across the stage with utmost style, introduced to us via a cheesy commercial for shampoo. But underneath the celebrity exterior lies a more sinister character, and Raju quickly becomes the villain of the piece, trying his hardest to cling on to his youth whilst also acting incredibly sleazily towards his young female co-star. It is enough to make your skin crawl, but the musical leans too heavily into the comedic aspects of Raju’s character to make him seem like too much of a threat. There is an odd running joke introduced in act two about Raju’s reliance on his mother, which seemingly undermines the superb character work done by Sabharwal up to this point. There is, however, an incredible call-back to the shampoo commercial in a song that proves to be one of the show’s highlights.
In fact, many of the songs here are excellently written, although some run a little short and are over too soon. Original Bollywood songs, composed by Harry Anand, help to add authenticity to the piece, whilst Niraj Chag and Tasha Taylor Johnson contribute the rest of the musical accompaniment, featuring some witty lyrics and memorable melodies. The songs are nothing ground-breaking – they are in keeping with many contemporary musicals, heavily influenced by pop music – but they each help to further the story and are fun to listen to. Some of the actors’ voices do not appear to be best suited to their songs, however, and there is a tendency to rely too much on increasing the volume rather than trusting the story and the lyrics to keep the audience’s attention.
Stasi gives perhaps the best vocal performance of the night in a solo number in the second act, where Goldy sings about being left behind and ignored by her once-best-friend, but this soft, understated number quickly descends into shouting as Stasi struggles to keep up with the increased volume of the score. There is also a tendency from some of the performers to appear a little reserved, not quite able to reach the strong climax that the song requires, which can leave some moments feeling a little lacklustre.
What is most certainly not lacklustre is the set and lighting design (Rebecca Bower and Philip Gladwell), which sees huge archways lit up in a variety of different colours, helping to give each scene and song a unique flavour, whilst spotlights from behind leave the actors as mere silhouettes in some dramatic endings to musical numbers. It is all incredibly stylish, and a joy to watch. The musical numbers are expertly accompanied by some very impressive choreography courtesy of Nicola Mac and Anna Maria Barber, whilst there are so many costume changes we lose count, each of Andy Kumar’s costume designs an excellent, extravagant addition (with lots of sequins!).
The show gets a little bogged down with some heavy-handed message about the way women are treated in the world of Indian cinema. It is a worthy message to convey, of course – as the show reminds us, India has one of the highest rates of domestic abuse, and as Raju’s wife Malika (understudy Marina Lawrence-Mahrra) points out, most people in India marry strangers, so they fall in love with cinema rather than their spouses. So it is easy to see why a musical about Bollywood would choose to include these themes. But in doing so, we lose the core of what the musical is about – Frankie, who goes out of her way to remind us that she is “too brown for Britain, and too British for Bollywood”, seemingly fits in with Mumbai life very well. We don’t get to see too much of her adjusting to life in India; it is brushed over very quickly for us to get to the meat of the plot involving Raju and his wandering hands, a story which feels like it could have been told in any film industry and not necessarily Bollywood. What could have been interesting and unique is instead reduced to something that feels a little bland (an odd word to use in a show that is so vibrant and colourful throughout).
If you want a night of light entertainment, then this is certainly for you. I cannot emphasise enough how feel-good this show is – it will certainly put a smile on your face and is worth seeing for the music alone. This is soft, silly escapism, but there is a lot that doesn’t make sense – Luke Suri’s Shona is introduced as a choreographer, and later becomes a talk show host for some reason, and there is a month-long excursion to a spiritual temple that is better off left unquestioned. Sit back and enjoy – but don’t think about it too much.
Tom Morley, May 2026
Review Round-up:
Elemental Theatre: Frankie Goes to Bollywood – 4* from Elemental Theatre, who encourage audience members to “go in ready for colour, camp, and theatrical excess for excess’s sake, and this show absolutely wins you over”
East Midlands Theatre: Frankie Goes to Bollywood – 3* from EMT, who call the show “a fun evening of music and dance with a good message at its heart”
Fairy Powered Productions: Frankie Goes to Bollywood – And finally, 5* from FPP, who sum up by saying “in the classic way of Bollywood, the hero or in this case the heroine wins in the end, and we all went home incredibly happy”
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