Preview: An Indian Abroad, Wardrobe Theatre

In this one-man show written and performed by Bristol-based Pariah Khan, an Indian student, on a journey of self-discovery, takes a gap year to Britain to ‘find himself’.

Stifled by life in middle-class India, Krishnan is desperate to see more of the world. He takes a year out from his studies to visit the exotic island of Great Britain to learn about life and who he is.

But what does Krishnan’s journey teach him about the world? What might he learn about himself? And what happens when he falls in love with one of the natives?

“A generous and hilarious writer and performer with a keen eye for detail and impeccable comic timing. He has a big future ahead of him” – Nikesh Shukla

A writer, performer, filmmaker and professional wrestling manager, Pariah was named one of Bristol’s most influential young people for his work in theatre and comedy. Last year, he was selected by Channel 4’s Random Acts scheme, where 12 of the south-west’s most promising filmmakers are chosen to create their first broadcast quality film.

Here he is to tell us more.

An Indian Abroad “takes the trope of white adventurers exploring ‘foreign’ lands and spins it on its head…” tell us how.
I grew up across three different continents: I was born in Libya, moved to India, then England, then back and forth again. This gave me the chance to view events, people and culture from a variety of different perspectives. So when I hear white middle-class people constantly talking about a “spiritual awakening” they had after visiting another country for a few months, it stinks of bullshit. No doubt you can have those moments, but you might equally have them at the Lake District, the Scottish Highlands or Snowdonia. That doesn’t transform the country you’re visiting into some transcendental paradise.
I was also irritated by stories driven by a white male adventurer who explored these ‘exotic’ and ‘foreign’ lands, as if the brief encounters he had could accurately depict their worldview and culture.
So, I decided I was going to flip these concepts on their head to show how ludicrous and ignorant this mindset is. That being said, I have seen enough one-man/one-woman/one-person shows that didn’t do this effectively, because they were essentially TEDTalks stacked with statistics and a little dramaturgy sprinkled on top.
That isn’t theatrical, it’s one-dimensional and it doesn’t push or challenge the liberal, left-leaning audience that theatre attracts. I wanted to ensure the work I made wouldn’t do this. So I can assure you that this show will have no statistics – and is, in fact, entirely false.

So is the show autobiographical?
So, in contrast to that last point, the show is heavily autobiographical.

Travel is supposed to ‘broaden the mind’, help the traveller ‘find him/herself’ – broadly, are those Krishnan’s experiences?
I feel that travel or putting yourself in a totally foreign environment allows an external stimulus to trigger or bring to the surface an internal truth: who you are, what are you going through, what you are afraid of confronting or running away from. That is the journey Krishnan goes on, and I would say it awakens him to some stark revelations.

How does Krishnan’s view of Britain change, from before he leaves India to the end of his year abroad?
You’ll have to watch the show 😉

Any favourite parts of the piece for you, both as writer and performer?
The whole process rehearsing the show with my director, Eduardo Gama, has been incredibly valuable. He has pushed my abilities as a performer beyond my comfort zone and his contribution cannot be overstated. The closing section is definitely my favourite, as the essence of the whole show becomes crystallised before leaving the audience guessing yet again. That gradual change Krishnan undergoes from the start to the finish is the most challenging part – but also the most rewarding.

Tell us about your career to date in theatre and comedy.
As a child I would always watch television, whether it was Pokemon, WWF, Japanese anime or superhero cartoons, and make up my own storylines.
When I was 15 my sister bought me a book and told me to start writing things down. I started putting more time into it and realised it was a way of analysing the world, expressing myself and entertaining people.
I only took theatre at A-Level because I thought it would help the showman skills I needed to get involved with pro wrestling. Once I took the course, I fell in love with theatre and I haven’t stopped performing since, whether it’s theatre, wrestling or stand-up. There’s been a symbiotic relationship between the art forms, with one influencing and informing the other at different stages in my life.
I wrote and performed my first short play at the egg, Theatre Royal Bath whilst in sixth form and there was this indescribable euphoria during the show and throughout the curtain call where I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
After that, I went to study at the London School of Economics. During my time there, I wrote two original musical productions, which were staged at the Lyceum Theatre. They were each two and a half hours long, with a cast of over 130 performers played to an audience of over 1000 people. The first year I wrote and performed, the second year I directed and wrote.
When I graduated, I wanted to finally give wrestling a chance and trained at the Dragon Pro Wrestling academy. Last year, I challenged myself to finally take the plunge into stand-up seriously. Since then, my performances have gotten better, I directed and wrote my first short film through Channel 4’s Random Acts scheme, I was chosen by The Latimer Group and BBC Three as one of the UK’s top 50 creative young people for their Playground scheme and I was voted one of Bristol’s most influential young people by Nikesh Shukla and RIFE Magazine for my work in theatre and comedy.

Is Bristol proving a good place to do what you do?
There is definitely a very healthy comedy and theatre scene in Bristol. There are multiple organisations aimed at helping people navigate the creative industries and discover their passion.
I spend a lot of time with Creative Youth Network, at The Station as part of their alumni scheme. They have an excellent rehearsal space and facilities. I used to have a studio at Hamilton House but couldn’t afford the hike in rent so was forced to move out. Now I spend a lot of time in our amazing libraries and at the Watershed.
Where I want to see a difference, though, is for Bristol’s artistic scene to accurately reflect the wider city. There are many homogenous organisations and spaces that don’t reflect this. I also want more investment into South Bristol. No one I went to school with thought the arts were something you could aim for as a career. I have a lot of creative friends in this city but most of them have moved to Bristol, rather than growing up here. That saddens me. Where’s our homegrown talent?

And tell us about your other life as a wrestling manager.
That’s something I love and take a lot of pride in. I currently work for Pro Wrestling Chaos who hold shows throughout Bristol and the nearby area (Kingswood, Hanham, Bradley Stoke, Yate). I used to own the company but was unceremoniously fired at the hands of a furry blue monkey while the wrestler I managed was humiliated by being forced to wear a seahorse costume.
I returned earlier this year and manage Eddie Ryan and Charlie Sterling. Those two are a tag-team called The Crazy Teacups but they didn’t get along until I came back to help them work through their problems. Now they are the tag team champions, but they tend to kick each other in the face more often than I’d like.

An Indian Abroad is at the Wardrobe Theatre on Oct 31 & Nov 1. For more info and to book tickets, visit thewardrobetheatre.com/livetheatre/an-indian-abroad

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