Camden New Journal - Theatre: Small Miracle

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The Review - THEATRE by TOM FOOT
Published: 21 June 2007

A roller-coaster ride of salvation: Kulvinder Ghir and Gina Isaac

Musings on miracles fall short of the mark

SMALL MIRACLE
Tricycle Theatre

THUNDER shook the Tricycle Theatre before the first glimpse of Small Miracle on Tuesday night.
Was this a message from God? The characters of the play would certainly say so.
This is the latest chapter in the eternal debate over reason and faith.
The spiritual and the realists go head-to-head in the Irish town of Knock, a major Roman Catholic site of pilgrimage, renowned for the miraculous appearance of the Virgin Mary in 1879.
In his first professionally produced play mainstream actor Neil D’Souza takes five characters on a roller-coaster ride of salvation.
Set in a caravan park, an Indian man is scrabbling about trying to make his relationship with feisty Bronagh (Gina Isaac) and her vulnerable teenage daughter Sadie (Ella Vale) work. Arjun, played by Kulvinder Ghir – who famously asked for “the blandest thing on the menu” in that celebrated Goodness Gracious Me sketch – has taken his sick grandmother Meera to see the famous site. Despite his credentials Ghir failed to make me laugh much.
A miracle – which happens off stage in a field – releases each of them from their shackles. Grandma blows off the cobwebs and sets off on a steamy affair with the caravan site manager.
Arjun quits his dull job to pursue a career as a writer. Bronagh, representing reality in the debate, is left stumped by spiritual delusions.
The plot was overcomplicated by the need to leave all the events open to both sides of the debate – was this pure coincidence or divine forces at work? But with pragmatism exposed as ‘wrong’ at the end we are left with the weak and under-whelming conclusion that everyone should have a little bit of faith.
Sadly it took more than two hours to relay this back-of-a-matchbox message as a series of unenviable resolutions unravel.
The star performance came from Ella Vale as the cantankerous teen. I enjoyed her every move.
But the script, plot and even the direction had the hallmarks of a first-time work.
Until July 7
020 7328 1000

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