Choir review – sweet harmonies and slapstick in Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s musical heartwarmer

Minerva theatre, ChichesterA stressed out community choir rehearse pop hits ahead of a TV appearance in this uncharacteristically feelgood comedy from the usually hard-hitting BhattiPlaywright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti is best known for her Susan Smith Blackburn prize-winning 2005 drama Behzti. Featuring scenes of rape and violence in a Sikh gurdwara, the ambitious state-of-the-nation work stirred huge controversy among religious communities when it premiered, and had its run at the Birmingham Rep cancelled following violent protests.Bhatti has since gone on to create similarly confronting work, including her recent touring play about prison motherhood, Scenes from Lost Mothers, as well as penning a coercive control storyline for The Archers. But those theatregoers expecting a continuation of this challenging storytelling may be disappointed by her latest work, Choir. Set during rehearsal sessions for a community choir who are preparing for a potential big break on TV, the play is more comic than visceral; more sitcom than Sarah Kane. Continue reading...

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