New musical Come Fall in Love 'is a show for everyone' say stars
Manchester once again finds itself in the spotlight with the UK premiere of a new musical.
Inspired by the the longest-running movie in Indian cinema Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, - DDLJ to its legions of fans - Come Fall in Love certainly has a lot to live up to. The multi-award winning DDLJ has been playing continuously in Mumbai since its release in 1995.
The company of Come Fall In Love in rehearsal (Image: Craig Sugden) But one look at the team behind Come Fall in Love indicates that it's a show which is more than up to the task.
The book and lyrics are by Nell Benjamin who was responsible for Mean Girls and who won an Olivier Award winner for Legally Blonde. The music - 18 original English language songs - is by Vishal and Shekhar, the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber of Bollywood and directing the whole thing is Aditya Chopra, who was responsible for the original movie which has inspired the show.
For the musical's stars, Jena Pandya and Ashley Day, bringing the production to the stage could have proved a daunting experience. But their excitement at being part of something special is palpable.
'What was nice is that we had a workshop about six months before we started rehearsals which allowed me to get into the right head space to be working with such legends,' said Jena. 'They have been so nice and put to much trust in us. I feel so lucky to be part of this team."
Ashley added: 'I've worked in musical theatre for 20 years (he's starred in An American in Paris and The Book of Mormon) but to experience this has been amazing.'
Come Fall in Love was performed in San Diego in 2022 but the show has been considerably reworked for its UK debut at the Opera House.
Jena plays Simran, a young British Asian woman who is travelling around Europe before her arranged marriage. On her travels she meets Rog, played by Ashley, a self-styled party boy and an unlikely romance develops.
'I think the conscious decision that was made to change to plot to introduce Rog as a British white boy is so important,' said Ashley. 'It's now about two cultures and right now that's so modern and so relevant. It's good medicine.'
The quality of the writing and the music has deeply affected both of the stars.
'Legally Blonde has to be the best movie to stage adaptation of them all,' said Ashley. 'So to have Nell involved with this production is amazing. She's able to get really under the skin of the characters and her storytelling is so witty and clever.
'Then there's Vishal and Shekar, they're absolute legends. The fact that this is their first stage musical absolutely blows my mind.'
'Each song has its own style,' added Jena. 'Even in rehearsals where the surroundings are not particularly atmospheric, it makes me emotional. It's just the way they have done it blending authentic Indian melodies with songs which are pure pop, are punky or just rock. Everyone can watch it and love it.'
Ashley Day and Jena Pandya in Come Fall in Love (Image: ATG) Both Ashley and Jena are keen to stress that you don't even have to be aware of DDLJ to love Come Fall in Love.
'What is great is that you don't need to know the film,' said Jena. 'It works as a stand-alone story; it's so energetic, it sucks you in and makes you feel so much – happy, sad all of those things. I think that's what people will love it.
'Of course I hope fans of the original film will come and they will feel that nostalgia for a film which has been part of their lives for so long.
'But if you're totally new to the show, you're going to love it too,' said Ashley. 'It's such a big show, it really is something special.'
So how do the two stars compare to the characters they play? Simran is highly organised, someone who initially keeps her emotions under tight control.
'In some ways I suppose I am quite similar to Simran,' said Jena. 'I can certainly understand why she like the way she is. She has such strong values she has to stick to, and has always got this conflict going on inside her head to keep her friends happy and her family happy which does make her be a bit tightly strung at times.
'It's fun to play as she goes on this journey where she loosens up and falls in love.
'I do see myself in her especially in the way I react to my own dad, he's a classic Indian dad so it's fun to play that dynamic, that's not really acting - sorry dad, but he'd probably say the same thing!'
As for loud, brash party boy Rog?
'Maybe there was a time a long time ago I was as confident as he is,' said Ashley. 'But when we first meet him he does some things which made me feel a bit 'icky'. He's not a great guy at the beginning. But he changes so much through the show - it's a great story arc.'
Bringing any brand new show to the stage is a challenge and the stars of Come Fall in Love had a simple message for audiences.
'I'd say to people this probably will open your eyes in a way you didn't think they would in a musical,' said Ashley. 'You're going to feel a lot of soul and humanity and it's not fluff.'
'Don't think that this is a show for any one audience,' said Jena. 'If you think maybe you won't enjoy it or it's not for you, that's not the case.'
Come Fall in Love is at Manchester Opera House until Saturday, June 21. Details from www.atgtickets.com
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