Dhaba on Devon Avenue – A review

No one gives you a place. You have to fight for it, earn it and thrive in the face of adversity. 

This is an enduring sentiment passed down from one generation to the next,  an unspoken pact immigrants are familiar with. One which fuels the story of Dhaba on Devon Avenue. At the centre are three wahine, one uncle and a supportive lover.

Director Sananda Chatterjee and writer Madhuri Shekar skillfully take us through a carefully plotted narrative. Brick by brick we watch problems stacking up, moving towards the imminent collapse of the Dhaba Canteen by way of foreclosure. 

To the proud matriarch and owner Pooja Madhwani (played convincingly by Ayesha Heble) it is erasure. Of memories and legacy. 

Rehearsal Image

Things are falling apart for this family; Pooja is being consumed by parkinsons. Her eldest daughter Sindhu (Namrata Mankame-Shanbag) is estranged. Her second born Rita (Narme Deva), while loving, feels trapped by the walls of the family restaurant. She has hope in the form of a budding romance with a workmate Li Ming (Samantha Cheong). 

As Pooja is confronted by the state of affairs, she gets dollops of truth-bombs from her brother, the endearing and flamboyant Adil Jaisinghani (Amit Ohdedar). Their scenes together paint a poignant picture of the Sindhi community’s history.   

From start to finish, we wait for the best possible outcome for this family. 

We’re looking into the kitchen. Maria Natalia Pereira Stagno’s set design is meticulous , detailed and precise with just the right touches of clear glass and shining steel surfaces. The perfect mix of acceptable grubbiness alongside spotless cooking areas of a family run hole-in-the-wall eatery.

Using food as a useful device without going into detailed recipes is a smart move and works for the story. I don’t intend to give away too much, but a light touch in the food department is enough to nudge us completely into the world of the Dhaba Canteen. I wanted to immediately find the nearest Sindhi restaurant after the show. 

Rehearsal Image

Lighting design by Calvin Hudson and music design (by Moushumi Das) are on point, striking a balance well between nostalgia and the new, the future. 

Speaking of the future, Team Prayas are back with this delicious treat as the theatres open and we all come out to play. You don’t want to miss it. 

Book tickets here. They are going FAST.

Dhaba on Devon Avenue plays at TAPAC (The Auckland Performing Arts Centre), 100 Motions Road, Western Springs from 26 May to 5 June.
Directed by Sananda Chatterjee. Poster design by Ankita Singh.

*Originally commissioned by Victory Gardens Theater, Chay Yew, Artistic Director and Erica Daniels, Managing Director.