A new musical about finding your true self opens at Birmingham Rep this month. Described as a ‘brash, intoxicating and joyous musical comedy for today’, Bhangra Nation is also providing a platform for local artists to showcase their talent. One such performer is Ajay Sahota, from Great Barr, who will be making his professional stage debut in the show. What’s On recently caught up with the talented 22-year-old to find out more...

The joyful musical Bhangra Nation is offering local performers the chance to be involved in a large-scale professional theatre production on their doorstep.

Making its UK premiere at Birmingham Rep this month, the uplifting dance show has brought together an international team of creatives with local artists. And for some, including 22-year-old Ajay Sahota from Great Barr, this will be their first time on a professional stage.

Ajay, who recently completed a BSc in Medical Sciences at Leeds University, had never dreamed he would be on stage at The Rep, and is loving the experience.

“I saw on The Rep’s Instagram that they had open auditions for South Asian males and females who could sing, act and dance, and I thought ‘Well, this is my ideal moment.’ I sent a video of me singing and then went through all the stages, and they cast me. I was super lucky.”

Ajay had been an enthusiast in both dance and theatre but had never dreamed he could step into the limelight.

“When I was about eight or nine to when I was about 12, I had done bhangra dancing with my cousins. It was very much that our parents thought it would be a good idea to get us dancing, so we went to a class a week, in the back room of a pub.

“I’ve only done amateur musicals at university and at school, but I’ve always loved musical theatre and performing, and this show is a combination of dancing, singing and the cultural part of being a South Asian in the UK. It’s my first professional show, and it’s the perfect opportunity.”

Bhangra Nation originally premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in California under the name of Bangin’ It in 2022. Directed by Stafford Arima, the show is set in the world of collegiate bhangra contests. When students with new ideas come up against those with a more traditional outlook, the competition becomes about much more than just the dancing.

Ajay plays Gobind, one of the students.

“Gobind is a really fun and joyous character to play,” he says. “He begins the story with a zest for life and especially for bhangra and his own South Asian culture, but he isn’t the most coordinated dancer, and he’s not born with the natural ability to dance. During the show, he learns a lot more about the people around him, and he becomes a lot more confident. And he becomes a pretty good bhangra dancer - if I say so myself!

“I think the bhangra dancing is my favourite part of the show. It’s the part that comes most naturally to me. It’s like the rhythm - once you’ve learnt it, along with the way to move and the way to understand the music, that’s coming back to me from when I was a kid. And it’s nice to be surrounded by so many other dancers who are amazing at what they do. It might be their first time doing bhangra dancing, so we’re all in the same boat, learning what we can.”

But bhangra does pose its challenges.

“The most difficult part is that bhangra dancing is very energetic, and a lot of stamina is required to put on the amazing dance routines that we’re doing,” Ajay says. “And we have to make sure we’re still singing the right notes and sound lovely whilst we are making sure that each dance move is clean and crisp.”

Now that Ajay has the musical theatre bug. he is hoping to perform in other productions in the future.

“Being part of this show is a dream. Having a show which is so ethnically diverse, and having people of so many different heritages and backgrounds, is all I could dream of. All I’ve ever wanted is to be part of something that could make young boys and their families believe that it is possible for people of South Asian heritage to be part of musical theatre and to be on stage rather than just viewing it. I want to show people to just go for it if it’s something you love.

“I’m hoping this is the start - a springboard into a career with more musical theatre, more singing and acting, because this is my true passion in life: performing and telling a story to an audience.”
Ensuring Ajay and the other performers are convincing dancers is bhangra consultant Parambeer Samrai of Walsall-based Ultimate Bhangra.

“I am teaching bhangra to these amazing cast members,” he says. “No-one really had specific bhangra experience, and my role is not just to teach the movements but also to help them understand why each move is important in our culture. It’s like telling the story through the dance, feeling the music and having fun with bhangra.”

For Parambeer, who grew up in Smethwick and now lives in Halesowen, bhangra has always been a part of life. And he is now enjoying seeing the dance form being appreciated across different cultures.

“This show is fostering an understanding of cultural appreciation whether you’re South Asian, black or white. We’re creating a memorable performance for all ages, and we want this show to be accessible to anybody and everybody. It’s not just for South Asians - the show is about bringing everyone together.

“Bhangra is a super-cool dance and music tradition that lots of people in Birmingham enjoy, but it’s not just about dancing. It’s about bringing people together and having fun. In any workshop that I’ve done, whether the audience is South Asian or not, you hear that dhol drum and your shoulders start bouncing. The dhol beat is so infectious, and when people leave, everyone is beaming from ear to ear.”

And he says the cast, many of whom were bhangra beginners, have also caught that enthusiasm.

“What is exciting is that I’m able to share the authentic cultural traditions of bhangra with all these cast members. They are excellent in their current dance forms and whatever they have learnt previously - and now they are learning bhangra. They are amazing dancers, so it’s like mixing all these ingredients to create a special dance which is new and exciting and joyful.

“I’m so lucky to be part of this team. A big thank you to The Rep for bringing this to Birmingham. We can’t wait to show these amazing performances and this show to Birmingham and to the whole of the UK.”

Bhangra Nation shows at Birmingham Rep from Saturday 17 February to Saturday 16 March.