Until a criteria on who is British is agreed upon, the question “who is British?”
may never be fully answered. Vinay Patel’s one-man play True Brits, set in the
years between the 7/7 bombings and the 2012 Olympics, is the story of Rahul, a
young British-Asian played with conviction by David Mumemi.
Before the 7/7 bombings, Rahul rarely questions his Britishness. After the
unfortunate event, the rise in anti-Muslim sentiments in some parts of British
society marks him out as suspect or a focal point of hatred. For a young man like
Rahul, this is not only disappointing but is a sort of betrayal by the same people
with whom he shares a heritage.
All this is told in a narrative full of very funny anecdotes and piercing
observations about a once apparently unitary but now fractured society caused by
the devastating actions of a handful of people from a minority group.
It shares the same themes with many coming-of-age stories – pivotal early life
experiences that are smoothed over the years by time and humour. It is a
deceptively easy winning formula. Poorly done, it is a bore, but written and
performed with great warmth, as in True Brits, it is a triumph.
It may be a monologue, but by the end of the play you do feel you have been
introduced to a community because the people in Rahul’s life – his parents,
friends and girlfriend – and the world he has painted are highly memorable.