Not knowing anything about this play except that it used music and rap to tell the story of a boy who overcomes a stammer, it didn’t take long for me to realise this production was based on the story of school boy Musharaf Asgar from 2013 reality TV show ‘Educating Yorkshire’. Remember the heart-warming tale of the boy who triumphantly overcame his stammer by listening to music? Well that’s Mushy!
I must have watched clips of his victorious final speech at least ten times over and every time it reduces me to tears. That moment, when recreated on stage does not disappoint. It is through the skilful depiction of Musharaf by Varun Raj and his teacher, Mr Burton (Oliver Longstaff), that the first act moves along with energy and sensitivity. However, that’s only the turning point for the central character, that’s not the crux of this play. 
When I watched the original series, I saw only a schoolboy with a stammer, I didn’t see an Asian boy. That is where the play scratches beneath the surface to uncover Musharaf’s difficulties which were more to do with acceptance of himself in a world which had so many expectations.
Ricoh is one of the country’s leading theatre companies providing touring productions which celebrate the British Asian community. This production does exactly that, it embraces the diversity in the two cultures, and this is poignantly demonstrated in the relationship between Mushy and his strong willed Asian mother, Ammi (Medhavi Patel). Ammi will do anything to promote her son’s wellbeing in extremely challenging circumstances, having been abandoned by her husband and left to raise 5 children on her own, when Mushy was still young.
Patel performs the role with passion and maternal charisma as she drives the narrative forward, pressuring her son to be the best version of himself whilst retaining a sense of his Islamic culture. True to teenage form, Mushy rejects Ammi’s suggestions. In one of the most touching scenes of the play, he accuses his mother of being a prisoner at home and refusing to take a stand and embrace her own life despite forcing him to stand up and she exclaims passionately ‘That’s because you are standing on my shoulders’. This pivotal moment for both characters is to me the heart and soul of this story and the turning point for Mushy to finally find the person he wants and needs to become, which isn’t just the young boy, with a stammer on a reality TV show.
Pravesh Kumar’s writing affectionately reflects life as an English teenager with Pakistani heritage, growing up and learning to deal with constraints of culture, disability and academic expectation. One of the brilliant nuances of this play is the vibrant script which is bursting with energy and allows the protagonist to explore his inner monologues through rap, written by the renowned rap artist Raxter. It feels young and relevant and coupled with the dynamic direction of Ameet Chana this play / musical really pushes the boundaries of its 8+ age guidance audience. I found myself wanting to share this with all the teenagers I know as it was so inspiring, not only as a story but for its production value.
With only three performers and a brilliantly utilised stage set, this production absolutely screams touring Theatre in Education but I’m not entirely sure that was what it set out to be. . .as I was watching it from the comfort of my own home, during our current lockdown! What I can say is that this is a superb play for young and old to watch. Sometimes, watching recordings of plays can lose the energy and intimacy of live theatre, but the first-rate production quality by Take Cover Films uses camera angles and shots to position us as if our sofa really was at the Watford Palace theatre; keeping the performance compelling for the full hour and forty-five minute running time.
You can watch Mushy: Lyrically Speaking online HERE
Reviewer: Johanna Hassouna-Smith
Reviewed: 16th April 2020
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★
