THEATRE REVIEW: My Beautiful Launderette ★★★

My Beautiful Launderette
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Tuesday 8th - Saturday 12th October 2019

34 years after being released in the cinema, screenwriter Hanif Kureishi has returned to help move his My Beautiful Launderette from the screen to stage, on a brand new tour which has currently stopped at The Everyman, who are responsible for being one the producing partners. My Beautiful Launderette suffers largely in Cheltenham from the lack of diversity in the city which is so richly portrayed on stage, with a half empty auditorium, and the lack of emotion from some of the company, which keeps there characters two-dimensional.

Having taken over his uncles rather dousy Launderette, Omar (Omar Malik) finds an unlikely partner in the form of his former lover Johnny (Jonny Fines), the leader of a gang who one night attacks Omar due to his racial background. Within these moments of tension, Paddy Davis is rather extricating as gang member Genghis, with his other role as Dick O'Donnell equally frustrating and exaggerated with no real focus or attitude. At the same time, Balvinder Sopal does little to highten the scene or the story in general as Moose, one of the right-wing gang members, with a character that is disposable and largely in the background.

Malik and Fines together are clearly comfortable with eachother considering the intimacy that must experience on stage; alone Malik brings an innocence and kindness to Omar, whilst Fines does take a little while for us to warm to as he goes through a range of emotions from hatred, love and betrayal, effortlessly moving through the narrative. Amongst the rest of the company, our two leads steal the whole production along with Ben Cracknell's vibrant and neon lighting design, and Grace Smart's simplistic set, with two scenic rows of washing machines taking centre stage.

The story itself is one that should be praised due to the boundaries that it pushed for the LGBT+ community and which will continue to do in the modern era, as well as its strong Pakistan heritage told on stage. Kureishi at times pushes out scenes which feel as long as they are with no real structure or meaning to the overall narrative, and the similarity between the climax of the first and second act can feel exhausted of ideas even when you know where it's going, but overall creates a world in which is rich in a true friendship between our leads and the surroundings neighbouring them.

Overall, My Beautiful Launderette does well I'm bringing a contrasting world in which is so unfamiliar to audiences at  The Everyman Theatre, but fails in being able to capture empathy and compassion for the majority of the characters due to their portrayal, except for Malik and Fines who carry the narrative through considerably well.