Theatre Review: Made in India

Made in India, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

SET in a surrogacy clinic in Gujurat this new play follows the moving story of a surrogate mother trying to provide for her children; a foreign widow desperate to birth her dead husband’s child; and the doctor – for whom this is all simply business.

The topical play, directed by Katie Posner, addresses India’s proposed surrogacy bill. It explores the devastating effect the ban would have on these three women through dance, language and a surprisingly dark storyline.

Village girl and single mother, Aditi is handpicked by Londoner, Eva who – after losing her husband to cancer – wants only to bring her husband back to life, through having his child.

From the start of the play, Eva’s desperation becomes clear to the audience as she agrees to the transaction in an unhygienic clinic, despite her initial disgust towards the dried blood on her gown.

After investing both large amounts of time and money, the news of the commercial surrogacy ban – which bans foreigners – comes in leaving Eva, Aditi and Dr Gupta without a hope of getting what they really want.

For Aditi, the ban means she will remain in debt, unable to give her two biological daughters a life free of poverty, Dr Gupta will not receive the money owed and middle-aged Eva’s last chance of motherhood will be destroyed.

The three women, who carry the play, come to an arrangement to benefit all parties but as the play continues, Eva becomes obsessed with the idea of her baby and slowly, everything else in her life falls apart. 

Gina Isaac portrays Eva as the typical British woman hoping to fix her life by throwing copious amounts of money at Syreeta Kumar, who plays the harsh, practical doctor.

Through a cultural dance using scarves and a sari, Additi cleverly and imaginatively depicts the growth of the babies (the pair are blessed with twins).

During the hour and 20 minutes, the trio undergo various trials and tribulations through the pregnancy, including the cultural differences between Eva and Aditi as she stumbles upon the truth that she is carrying “a dead man’s baby”.

The thought-provoking play, from Tamasha Theatre Company, hooks the audience more and more as its plot becomes even darker with shocking twists.

At the beginning, Ulrika Krishnamurti’s acting was questionable as she flickered between languages, but towards the end as Aditi births the twins, she gives an undeniably powerful performance, screaming against the loud sinister music and frantically pouring out red scarves from her belly.

Her attachment to the baby is particularly emotional, especially as she begins breast feeding the baby, something the surrogates are prohibited from doing. She pleads with Dr Gupta not to take him, and slaps away money as the love for the baby she has grown inside her surpasses all monetary gain.

Aditi says “he’s made in India” to which the doctor replies, no “he’s made to order”.

Made in India runs until February 4.