Theatre Review: Santi and Naz at the Nottingham Playhouse

Rural India came alive in the Neville Studio on Saturday night at the Nottingham Playhouse. Courtesy of the play Santi and Naz, which told the story of two young female friends, one Sikh one Muslim living in a small Indian village in 1947. Colonial rule was ending, and the country was being partitioned along lines drawn up by a British lawyer who had famously never been further east than Paris.  

The friendship between Santi (played by Aiyana Bartlett) and Naz (played by Farah Ashraf) is a tender and joyful portrayal of two childhood friends as they journey towards the inevitability of adulthood. Their affectionate teasing is punctured by the voices of news bulletins and the girl’s playful imitations of Ghandi which adeptly place their story within the history of partition whilst keeping them centre stage. 

The use of different languages communicated a tender intimacy between the girls which was shared with the audience, alongside a growing awareness of their emerging differences. Just as life unfolds in layers so we see their developing sexualities unfurling amongst the threats of violence towards them as women, their limited rights to opinion or self-determination and the growing knowledge that their religious affiliations place them at risk of separation. 

This should be enough to fill any 70 minutes, but the genius of this play was its lightness of touch in the midst of such a serious subject matter. A coming-of-age story that gently delivered a stirring metaphor for the horrors of partition in India. There is sadly nothing new in the devastation wrought by land divisions following colonialism and this telling as seen through the eyes of two young female friends reminds us of the multitude of people that exist under the layers of larger tragedies. 

It was my second outing to the Neville Studio at the Nottingham Playhouse and both productions have been impressive. It is clearly a place to find hidden gems of visiting productions.  Santi and Naz was created by Guleraana Mir & Madelaine Moore and written by Guleraana Mir and Afshan D’Souza Lodhi from The Thelmas, a female-led touring company that is; ‘passionate about big ideas and bold reimagining’s.’  The play certainly matches their ambition and delivered a performance that was to my mind more than worthy of a longer run on any main stage. 

Santi and Naz played at the Nottingham Playhouse on Saturday 19th October 2024. For more information see: thethelmas.co.uk.