Shiv

I was again back in Curve's Studio space but this time for a conventionally staged piece of theatre. Shiv is the centrepiece, the jewel in the crown of this year's Inside Out Festival, and rightly so. A lavish story of a girl's lost father, a realisation of the reality of his story telling adventures and a failed love affair all played out at the side of a lake, the scene of her beloved father's shattered dreams.

An atmospheric set of a lone, shabby mattress sat on the decking beside the water is imaginatively lit to flit between the girl's Punjabi childhood and her American adulthood and back again. The story, liberally littered with Star Trek references and allusions, is in turns laugh out loud and almost tearful as old, buried secrets are realised and bared.

This play, having its European premier at Curve and produced in-house, is beautifully constructed by author Aditi Brennan Kapil and reflects the tensions of being brought up 'between worlds'. A feeling which must be resonate with many of Leicester's second generation immigrants, a pleasing number of whom were out supporting this locally cast production.

In the role of Shiv was Emily Lloyd-Sani, a Midlands bred actress working at Curve for the first time; Andrew Josh, playing Bapu her father, is fast becoming a regular at Curve; Ian Keir Attard plays Gerard, Shiv's potential love interest, and is a newcomer to Leicester. Finally Robin Bowerman plays The Professor, Bapu's nemesis, and is a welcome returning visitor to Curve.

Shiv is on until Sat 25 April in the Curve Studio.

Inside Out is in its second year and was created to showcase all manner of local-based productions and performances. A wide range of shows at very accessible ticket prices are on until 6 May. There are also a lot of free events including the innovative Inside Out Park, a mini music festival in the Curve foyer, and The Lyric Lounge, a free pop up live literature festival all day on Saturday 25 April. If any of these events inspire you to get involved there are several workshops covering dance, acting and playwriting.

Full details of all the events can be found on the Curve website at www.curveonline.co.uk

First published in Western Gazette
© Paul Towers 23/4/2015