{"id":2686,"date":"2017-08-06T18:58:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-06T08:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/?p=2686"},"modified":"2017-08-06T11:01:00","modified_gmt":"2017-08-06T01:01:00","slug":"perfume-garden-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/perfume-garden-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Perfume Garden (Chapel off Chapel) – theatre review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Family, cultural heritage, religious observance and aspiration are the focus of The Perfume Garden<\/em>. This reworked comedy was first performed a decade ago. Now, colourful Bollywood dance numbers \u2013 nine in all \u2013 have been added to the mix.<\/p>\n

\"\"Six beautifully adorned sari-clad women are joined by a beaming and elegant man.\u00a0The women first appear in a dream sequence, as the male centerpiece of the production imagines himself in an episode of television\u2019s The Bachelor<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Perfume Garden<\/em> explores some of multiculturalism\u2019s absurdities.\u00a0Chitra (Laura Lattuada) and Satya (Vishwajeet Pradhan) run a suburban spice shop. They want nothing more than to see their grown son Anand (a role filled by playwright and producer Rajendra Moodley) settle down, get married and take over the family business.\u00a0Anand\u2019s life appears to be going nowhere. He is a writer and actor whose career has failed to take off. He’s moved back home with his parents.\u00a0His father arranged the first meeting with his now-girlfriend, Devi (Sacha Joseph).<\/p>\n

The play opens on their \u201cproposal day\u201d (the first part of an Indian wedding). But Anand is reluctant to set a date for the engagement, let alone the wedding.\u00a0His folks are concerned that like the distant relative for whom they’re caring \u2013 80-year-old stroke victim, Ayah (Khema De Silva) \u2013 time is running out for Anand.<\/p>\n

While the play has been crafted primarily with fun in mind and features some ribald scenes, it also contains elements of drama and magic.\u00a0The Perfume Garden<\/em> didn\u2019t start to really resonate with me until well into the first act. That’s when the seemingly mute, wheelchair-bound Ayah suddenly came to life, courtesy of a spell.\u00a0She is arguably the best character in the show and De Silva takes full advantage of the pointed lines with which she has to work.<\/p>\n

\"\"Overall though, I struggled to find the cohesion I was looking for in the plotting.\u00a0Also, notwithstanding the strength of the dialogue, I thought some of the acting appeared contrived and lacking in polish.<\/p>\n

Still, though The Perfume Garden<\/em>, directed by Paul Watson, would probably benefit from further work, it is not devoid of enjoyable sequences.\u00a0Two hour-long acts are punctuated by a 20-minute interval.\u00a0It is playing at Chapel off Chapel<\/a> until 13 August 2017.<\/p>\n

Alex First<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Family, cultural heritage, religious observance and aspiration are the focus of The Perfume Garden. This reworked comedy was first performed a decade ago. Now, colourful Bollywood dance numbers \u2013 nine in all \u2013 have been added to the mix. Six beautifully adorned sari-clad women are joined by a beaming and elegant man.\u00a0The women first appear…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2688,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[801],"tags":[1198,263,21,37,1197,124,590],"class_list":["post-2686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-theatre","tag-bollywood","tag-chapel-off-chapel","tag-comedy","tag-melbourne","tag-multicultural","tag-musical","tag-theatre-review"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Perfume Garden (Chapel off Chapel) - theatre review -<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/perfume-garden-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Perfume Garden (Chapel off Chapel) - theatre review -\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Family, cultural heritage, religious observance and aspiration are the focus of The Perfume Garden. 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It suffered from a slow start and, in my eyes, it never gained a foothold.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_img_0278.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_img_0278.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_img_0278.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/rsz_img_0278.jpg?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":142155,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/unsolicited-male-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":2686,"position":2},"title":"Unsolicited Male (Chapel Off Chapel) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"July 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A boss oversteps the mark and the consequences are devastating in Ron Elisha\u2019s incendiary Unsolicited Male.\u00a0For the past two years Wendy (Kym Valentine), now 38, has been personal assistant to accountant Zeke (Russell Fletcher).\u00a0She enjoys her job. Middle-aged Zeke has been good to her, grateful for how she has managed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_anthony_scundi_russelll_fletcher_kym_valentine_gabriella_rose-carter.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_anthony_scundi_russelll_fletcher_kym_valentine_gabriella_rose-carter.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_anthony_scundi_russelll_fletcher_kym_valentine_gabriella_rose-carter.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/rsz_anthony_scundi_russelll_fletcher_kym_valentine_gabriella_rose-carter.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":154873,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/the-39-steps-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":2686,"position":3},"title":"The 39 Steps (Chapel Off Chapel) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"March 11, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"An adaptation of acclaimed film director Alfred Hitchcock\u2019s 1935 movie The 39 Steps, Hearth Theatre\u2019s production of the parody is riotously funny.\u00a0Patrick Barlow\u2019s work from the 1915 novel by Scottish author John Buchan, brings slapstick humour to the mystery crime thriller \u2026 and it works b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l-l-y. Single, handsome, 6 foot\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rsz_sorab_kaikobad_and_yvette_turner_in_the_39_steps_credit_cameron_grant.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rsz_sorab_kaikobad_and_yvette_turner_in_the_39_steps_credit_cameron_grant.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rsz_sorab_kaikobad_and_yvette_turner_in_the_39_steps_credit_cameron_grant.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rsz_sorab_kaikobad_and_yvette_turner_in_the_39_steps_credit_cameron_grant.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":143068,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/holding-the-man-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":2686,"position":4},"title":"Holding the Man (Chapel Off Chapel) – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"October 7, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Based on a memoir by the late Timothy Conigrave, playwright Tommy Murphy has given us an up close and personal look at a 15-year gay relationship.\u00a0It starts in the teen years and works its way through to the HIV\/AIDS crisis of the \u201880s and \u201890s.\u00a0Tim (Gene Efron) has his eyes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rsz_1dsc01900.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rsz_1dsc01900.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rsz_1dsc01900.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/rsz_1dsc01900.jpg?fit=800%2C535&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":168023,"url":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/the-haunting-of-spook-mansion-by-ghosts-at-chapel-off-chapel-theatre-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":2686,"position":5},"title":"The Haunting of Spook Mansion (By Ghosts), at Chapel Off Chapel – theatre review","author":"Alex First","date":"November 16, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Do you believe in ghosts? Noted sceptic and author Professor Adrian Chambers (Peter Houghton) most certainly does not? The 62-year-old has written 14 books on the subject. At a very poorly attended new book reading and signing, he is waylaid by the only person who turns up, librarian Beth Jackson\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Theatre"","block_context":{"text":"Theatre","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/category\/theatre\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/rsz_the_haunting_of_spook_mansion_by_ghosts_darren_gill-0160_actor_peter_houghton.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/rsz_the_haunting_of_spook_mansion_by_ghosts_darren_gill-0160_actor_peter_houghton.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/rsz_the_haunting_of_spook_mansion_by_ghosts_darren_gill-0160_actor_peter_houghton.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/rsz_the_haunting_of_spook_mansion_by_ghosts_darren_gill-0160_actor_peter_houghton.jpg?fit=800%2C534&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2686\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}