We round up the reviews Karim Khan’s play running at the theatre until the 21st March.
The Guardian: *** “Khan’s play remains one that gives voice to those from whom we rarely hear. As diabetes disproportionately affects the South Asian community, it paints a defiant, timely portrait of lives too often pushed to the margins.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “Still, the play is certainly sweet and a refreshing reminder that older people can experience romance and connection, regardless of their circumstances. Sweetmeats is a beautiful, heartwarming story, filled with genuinely touching moments.”
London Theatre.co.uk: **** “It is refreshing to see such a tender examination of emotions in later life on stage, challenging expectations of a society that expects older people to disappear when they lose their partners. Without falling into syrup, Sweetmeats is tender, thoughtful and very touching.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “It could also say more about the challenges of dual nationality and age, while exploring the sparing references to India and Pakistan’s contentious history might also add texture to their interaction, as would some sense of Hema’s family and their views on this new friendship. Khan’s story is sweet, but as his characters know, a little sweetness goes a long way.”
The Stage: *** “Sweet and slow-paced tale of two South Asian elders forging a connection.”
All That Dazzles: **** “There are, as you might expect, moments where Liaquat’s health in particular looms as a genuine threat. These moments are where the lighting and sound design, by Simeon Miller and Hugh Sheehan respectively, become most prominent and most effective.”
Theatre & Tonic: *** “Karim Khan does a good job of subtly developing the characters’ relationship over time, the storytelling, both in its writing and direction, by Natasha Kathi-Chandra, could be a lot more efficient. Whilst the script offers opportunities for more dynamic changes of pace, the energy drags and sags so that Liaquat‘s overindulgent melancholia permeates through the whole play. Sweetmeats trudges along for 2 hours and 30 minutes, and whilst the original score by Amrit Kaur Lohia is beautiful and evocative, it is somewhat soporific.”
Fairy Powered Productions: **** “a beautifully sculpted piece of writing expertly delivered, with heart and passion.”
Broadway World: **** “Ultimately, this is a good piece of theatre. It might be quieter and more introspective than current trends demand, but it invites the audience to consider a part of the public that we don’t normally see as the protagonists of anything. It treats grief not as something to overcome, but to accept. It’s realistic and naturalistic, a true-to-life picture of our empathetic instinct to connect.”
Theatre Weekly: **** “Under Kathi‑Chandra’s direction, each element of the production coheres with precision. Aldo Vazquez’s design divides the stage into four sections: classroom, bus stop, Liaquat’s home and Hema’s parlour. While each set remains realistic, their spatial relations, marked by the actors’ movements, become symbolic.”
Time Out: **** “Structurally, the rhythm can also feel repetitive – management course, home, management course again – which slackens the pacing. Yet even in these slower stretches, Sweetmeats has something resonant to say about forgotten generations and their desires, about the cultural specificities that connect and nourish, and about intergenerational families at a stage of life we rarely see onstage. It’s not glamorous, but it’s very sweet.”
To book tickets visit: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/sweetmeats/