Tiffin Box – Basement Theatre, 8 October 2024: Review

Tiffin Box, produced by Prayas Theatre is a rich feast of the arts. Music and dance, to poetry, to stand-up comedy, to monologue. A lot is packed into the selection of Indian soul food.

Prayas Theatre is closing in on its twentieth anniversary in Auckland, presenting the theatre of the South Asian diaspora as it has settled in New Zealand.

The other interesting anniversary of note is the century of the New Zealand Indian Central Association in 2026. Formed in urgency, to counter the actions of the White New Zealand League of 1926, who actively campaigned to expel all Indians and Asians from the country.

The epicentre of the movement was Pukekohe, which became the equivalent of the American Deep South prior to Civil Rights legislation.

Speaking from the perspective of an Indian born in New Zealand, this homeland of ours has come a long way. With it the idea of Tangata Whenua is constantly morphing and evolving.

So too is the cultural identity of Indians. Initially heavily Gujarati when I came on the scene, it has exploded out. Which means adding in the refugees of persecution (Uganda and Fiji after the revolutions), sectarianism (Muslims, Tamils of Sri Lanka).

Indians are a different hydra-headed beast than the ones which faced their existential crisis one hundred years ago in this country.

So it is reflected in the Art World, where the consciousness of the individual connects to the tribe and continues to radiate out.

Producer Sananda Chatterjee says Prayas Theatre aims to bring English-language or translated stories from India to mainstream theatres in New Zealand.

With India’s rich cultural diversity, history and theatrical traditions that go back so long, there was so much Prayas could do.

Chatterjee also notes how South Asian participation in the performing arts scene has evolved over the years.

Photo by John RataAs the community grew, consumption has increased, which is awesome. But we are also getting more allies who come to watch because they’re interested in diversifying the scene.

That is the last twenty years. Before that it was scratchy copies of Bollywood movies and insular small community celebrations through weddings and festivals like Diwali or Deepavali (Sanskrit for row of lights).

Part of the New Zealand mainstream now and coinciding with the season of Tiffin Box this year.

The show starts with Kathak dancers from the Aayat Dance Company. Ancient traditional Indian dance originating from the north, and recognisable as the deep origins of travelling Gypsies and the Flamenco tradition.

Stylised broad arm and leg movements with the smooth gliding motions you could say is how Michael Jackson transformed the explosive style of James Brown. Which continued with to the evolution of Break Dancing (not the Aussie one).

There are seven distinct schools of classical Indian dance.

Later we see a trio perform a piece titled Aroha, interpretive dance from the Bharatanatyam tradition of Tamil Nadu. There is more of a narrative here around three untethered girls and the restorative nature of deep ancestral roots.

Derived from a recent book of the same name by Dr Hinemoa Elder, a psychiatrist, which explores the connection between ancient knowledge and practices, and the mysterious aspect of healing.

Of all the disciplines of modern medicine, this is the one most connected to cultural practice.

The three dancers here, Natasha Trilokekar, Narme Deva and Ahalya Sathiyaselvan are all doctors.

These performances are the most recognisable as traditional ancient Indian art.

Arti Kansara gives a great monologue demonstrating in tragicomic terms what medical school lecturers used to describe women at a certain stage, as being forty, fertile, fat, flatulent. In my defence that was forty years ago.

Porvi Fomra, with a stand-up routine explains why grey hair is sexy in a middle-aged husband and how stress is the most effective method to achieve. Resonates amongst the males and females equally.

Wicked Ama from Namrata Mankame-Shanbag tells an ancient fable-styled story of a great-grandmother who communed with wolves and faced ignorant persecution.

Witch hysteria is a continuing blight on humanity over millennia, the most recent being the viral madness engulfing the planet four years ago. It always takes a long time to abate.

Gemishka Chetty relates a poem which starts with mangoes but is really an homage to mothers, through the aspect of callused curry-stained hands. Resonates from childhood experiences growing up in market garden country and Indian families.

Reminded me of the great American singer-songwriter Bill Withers and Grandma’s Hands.

Multi-media artist Marzia Solarian is Fijian-Indian and does some familiar stand-up comedy and gets the biggest laugh by lampooning Indian restaurant food and butter chicken white man mild.

The underlying themes bubbling under the surface is the vexed question of identity. What does it mean to be not really Indian and not really European?

Most poignant for the Fijian Indians, many of whom fled the country after the first coup, the ones who could afford it.

A recent theatrical performance, The Girmit brought this painful suppressed history into the light.

Identity is constantly evolving for the Indian diaspora in this country. You can be a coconut (brown on the outside, white on the inside) and finally be comfortable and accepting of it. Culture is by its very nature in constant flux, at the same time being firmly attached to ancient roots.

Men do not come out in a good light in Tiffin Box.

The last item Manpreet Singh Real Estate, played by Amin Bajaj is a greasy lizard-like shyster who is into making the best deal and leaving financial devastation in his wake. Clear which prominent property developer is being channelled.

Tiffin Box is a cornucopia of multi-cultural delights. The deep roots are there, the identities are rapidly evolving.

Rev. Orange Peel