Plymouth Theatre Review

Easy to Follow: 5

Family Friendly: 5

Must see: 5

Title: Roshni

Venue: Theatre Royal Plymouth

Date: 6^th March 2025

Sonia Sabri Company’s ‘Roshni’ is a captivating celebration of light, hope and unity, blending traditional and contemporary South Asian dance with live music and audience engagement. Drawn into a vibrant world of rhythm and movement the audience are taken on a mesmerising journey through evocative choreography and music. 

At its heart, ‘Roshni’ explores the idea of illumination, not just in a physical sense but as a metaphor for enlightenment, joy and human connection. This theme was beautifully woven throughout the performance with Sonia embodying an infectious and enchanting energy that rippled throughout the audience. The choreography was a carefully crafted fusion of classical Kathak and contemporary movement, incorporating improvised sequences and demonstrating both technical precision and expressive storytelling. Sonia Sabri’s signature style shone through, with intricate footwork, fluid spins and emotive gesture that invited the audience into the story and emotions of the piece. 

Incorporating live music, the interplay between the musicians and Sonia created a dynamic, almost hypnotic atmosphere, providing a rich and textured soundscape. The synergy between dancer and musician was so natural in its nature it felt as though Sonia and the musicians were engaged in an intimate and emotive dialogue with each other. 

A unique aspect of ‘Roshni’ was its light audience interaction. Rather than being passive spectators, as all too often in dance, the audience was invited into the collaborative nature of the piece and subtly drawn into the performance through call and response, rhythmic clapping and the warm and inviting energy from Sonia herself. This connection between music, performer and audience created a collective experience, making the performance feel immersive and personal.

Visually ‘Roshni’ was a feast for the senses. The use of vibrant colour in the costume and subtle yet effective lighting design reinforced the shows’ central theme of light and illumination. Sonia’s traditional dress became just as much a part of her movement as her body, flowing and spilling out around her and adding an ethereal quality to the movements. The staging itself was minimal allowing the movement and energy of the performers and music to flow into the imaginations of the spectator. The stage was bare, but the images provoked by the skilled choreography allowed our imaginations to fill the stage with an abundance of images and scenes.

‘Roshni’ was truly remarkable in its ability to capture its audience creating a tangible sense of upliftment, a feeling of being transported on a journey both deeply rooted in tradition and yet refreshingly contemporary. The performance managed to be both meditative and exhilarating, offering moments of quiet introspection as well as bursts of joyous energy. I particularly enjoyed the audience interaction, which allowed for a deeper connection with the piece and the themes. Explanation and demonstration of some of the improvised gestures we were about to encounter enabled the audience to form their own narrative journey in the landscapes constructed.  This worked especially well for the forest sequence where your imagination was opened up to roam free and create your own story within the forest landscape. Another aspect of audience interaction that I enjoyed was the rhythmic clapping and the ‘love letter’ we created as a part of this, it was a fantastic way to integrate the audience and deepened the connection between audience, the themes and the performance itself. 

‘Roshni’ is a profound, mesmerising experience that left a lasting impression. Sonia Sabri Company have demonstrated their ability to blend technical mastery with heartfelt expression, creating a performance that was equally enlightening as it was entertaining, I left the performance feeling both inspired by the nature of the themes and uplifted in its emotional resonance and execution. 

Reviewed by Ami Philpott

*Gifted – This theatre review was written following a gifted ticket to the performance. However, all opinions and views expressed in this review are entirely that of the reviewer and the review has not been influenced in any way by the provision of the ticket. Our commitment remains to provide an honest and unbiased assessment of the experience.