Significant events in history not only affect countries but also affect each individual drastically or quietly. In this work, the protagonists enveloped by a major change in history are two girls in a small village in India. Written by Guleraana Mir and afshan d'souza-lodhi and directed by Madelaine Moore, Santi & Naz tells the story of the lives of the people on the eve of the partition of India from the point of view of these two girls.
It's 1945, two years before the partition of India, and Santi and Naz - two best friends, one Sikh and one Muslim - are trying to spend their days as usual. They wrestle together, frolic in the lake, read books, spy on local hotties, and chat about the world, as if the days could always be this peaceful and beautiful. However, when Naz gets engaged to a tailor from the soon-to-be capital of Pakistan, things slowly start to change. At the same time, Naz comes to realise that her feelings for Santi aren't just as simple as being a friend.
Once the audience enters the theatre, they are already in the setting of this story with design from Sascha Gilmour. The lights are dim and Santi and Naz are lying face to face on the floor with some distance between them, tracing the cracks in the floor with their fingers, as if to foreshadow the division of India. Behind the stage are two fragmentary walls, one of which has a battered poster taped to it. While the set is simple, it renders a sense of the time. The lighting (Laura Howard) follows the moods of the two girls, sometimes dim, sometimes bright. The ethnic Indian music (Tom Curzon) is used several times with an upbeat tempo that lightens the mood of the audience. At other times, the dreary and constant tone emphasises the girls' anxiety.
Aiyana Bartlett (as Santi) and Farah Ashraf (as Naz) both deliver performances with the innocence and vigour of adolescent girls. Although Bartlett's Santi seems to be more serious and gentle, Ashraf's Naz is more conventional, and both have a rebellious spirit deep inside. There are times in this story when the two girls suddenly get into huge fights over certain words, and they play these emotional shifts very naturally, without making some of the words seem too abrupt or making the girls seem a little harsh. A lot of the time, the voices of the other characters would come through the audio, and the rest of the time, the state of the other characters would be acted out by the two girls as well, not confusing the roles, but instead achieving enough impact.
By the end of the story, India is partitioned, and the two girls who have been wanting to stay together are driven apart. Although many changes take place over the span of 75 minutes, the writing of the story is very smooth and natural, capturing the sound of the wheels of history rolling in the dialogue between the two girls without being contrived or feeling like it's progressing too quickly. Even with the mention of Naz's affection for Santi that goes beyond friendship, the decision to not really change their relationship makes this piece a little different. While this is a reflection of this major historical event from the perspective of two girls, the feelings of two people are just as important. And there are some feelings that one can empathise with even if they don't understand the historical context of the time at all.
Santi & Naz runs at Soho Theatre until 8th February 2025.
★★★★☆ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Paul Blakemore
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