Santi and Naz
Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol

SET around 1947 and the partition of India, the play introduces us to rural India through the eyes of Santi, a Sikh girl, and Naz, her Muslim best friend. Their awareness of the impending tragedy of mass migration and the accompanying carnage only shadows in their innocuous grasp of the adult world and amusing imitations of public figures such as Gandhi.

The writers Guleraana Mir and afshan d’souza-lodhi have cleverly mirrored national events through the girls’ personal lives as an increasing awareness of their futures, changing circumstances and an arranged marriage with its ensuing violence tears the girls apart. 

Director Madelaine Moore effectively uses the full stage with the girls’ joyous, uninhibited and often synchronised movements reflecting their early, pre-partition relationship and only slowly reins in and differentiates their movements as their contrasting sexualities, religious cultures and the expectations of adult life intrude on their innocence.

Aiyana Bartlett as the intense and bookish Santi and Farah Ashraf as the fun-loving yet emotionally troubled Naz create an endearingly sheltered world of childhood games, plans and emotions before their innocuous village lives start to reflect national tensions with casual references to disturbing news reports and a butchered donkey the first local sign of possible Hindu antagonism.

The whole piece gels beautifully as a drama examining the division of India through the unjaded eyes of the young, where the play is as much about the intensity of childhood friendship, loyalty and dawning sexual feelings in the face of encroaching adulthood. With frequent uses of local references and regional linguistic phrases, this simple two-hander creates a fully fledged sense of a vibrant world.

The production though does have a few rough edges with the use of a number of modern idioms and some anachronistic, casual modern diction that undercuts some of the reality of the time and world being crafted. 

Reworked after a successful Edinburgh Fringe run and now at the start of a national tour, some of these inconsistencies will be ironed out to enhance what is a highly memorable and thought-provoking production. 

On tour until November 8; and then at Soho Theatre January 21 to February 8 2025. For more information see: thethelmas.co.uk.