Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Magic of Frankie Goes to Bollywood delights audiences around the country

Magic of Frankie Goes to Bollywood delights audiences around the country

Rifco Theatre’s grand musical production, Frankie Goes to Bollywood, is story of a young woman from Milton Keynes making it big in the shark-infested waters of the Indian film industry.

Frankie (Laila Zaidi) feels connected to her late mother through their shared loved of the opulent and melodramatic Bollywood films they used to watch together.


For Frankie, the glitz and glamour of Bollywood is worlds away from her life serving popcorn in a cinema.

However, a chance encounter with a director leads her on a journey that sees her overcome the odds to create a place for herself in Bollywood.

2 @richlakos scaled Frankie Goes to Bollywood. pic credit: Rich Lakos / ArenaPAL

Writer and director Pravesh Kumar’s story follows the well-tread path of musicals like Hairspray, but what gives it it’s identity are the dazzling costumes, set designs, long-busting musical numbers, fast-paced choreography, and hilarious Bollywood masala clichés you’re unlikely to see in any other UK theatre production.

Whilst it’s a comedy which will have you chuckling throughout, especially at the antics of Frankie’s ditzy cousin Goldie (Katie Stasi) and Raju (Shakil Hussain), a star actor whose determined to control Frankie’s personal and professional life, Kumar doesn’t shy away from shining a light on the toxic nature of the industry.

An initially naïve Frankie is forced to deal with misogyny and go-up against the perils of an industry built on nepotism.

At the show’s core are the powerful female performances, led by the charismatic Zaidi, the scene-stealing Stasi and Helen K Wint who plays ageing star Malaika.

6 @richlakos scaled Frankie Goes to Bollywood. Pic credit: Rich Lakos / ArenaPAL


The male actors are also given the platform to make their mark.

Navin Kundra as Prem, the director who discovers Frankie, sees his role lessen as the story develops but shares great chemistry with Zaidi – in fact, their duet literally had one woman crying in the audience!

Frankie Goes to Bollywood CAST Collage Frankie Goes to Bollywood cast from left: Laila Zaidi, Gigi Zahir, Navin Kundra, Helen K Wint, Shakil Hussain and Katie Stasi

As for Gigi Zahir, who plays Shona, he is an absolute riot as a camp, over-the-top choreographer whose loud outfits and one-liners keep Frankie’s spirits up on her troubled journey.

Rifco’s ambitious project is fun-filled evening that all ages will enjoy.

iStock 960251810

More For You

The Great British Sewing Bee

Patrick Grant, Esme Young and Kiell Smith-Bynoe return as judges and host

BBC

The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 to return on 15 July, BBC announces

Key points

  • The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 begins Tuesday, 15 July at 9 pm on BBC One.
  • The 11th series will see a new group of amateur sewers compete for the title.
  • Patrick Grant, Esme Young and Kiell Smith-Bynoe return as judges and host.
  • The show continues its popularity with weekly sewing challenges and heartfelt moments.

Great British Sewing Bee 2025 set to return on 15 July

The return date for The Great British Sewing Bee 2025 has been officially confirmed. The popular BBC One competition will be back on screens on Tuesday 15 July at 9 pm, bringing with it a fresh group of amateur sewers hoping to impress judges Patrick Grant and Esme Young.

Now in its 11th series, the show has grown into a mid-year television highlight, offering a combination of creativity, technical skill, and emotional storytelling. Hosted by Kiell Smith-Bynoe, the series follows contestants through a series of themed sewing challenges as they compete for the title of Britain’s best home sewer.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Odyssey

The Odyssey poster features a fractured Greek statue with glowing embers

Instagram/theodysseymovie

'The Odyssey' first look revealed as Christopher Nolan drops teaser in cinemas

Quick highlights:

  • Universal Pictures releases poster for Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey.
  • Teaser trailer only available in cinemas before Jurassic World Rebirth.
  • Matt Damon stars as Odysseus in the film set for release on 17 July 2026.
  • Ensemble cast includes Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, and more.

Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan is officially delving into mythology. His upcoming film The Odyssey, a retelling of Homer’s epic tale, has just dropped its first poster, and a short teaser trailer is now being shown exclusively in cinemas alongside Jurassic World Rebirth.

The poster leans into the film’s mythological roots, featuring the image of a fractured Greek sculpture engulfed in embers, with the words “Defy the Gods” stamped across the middle. It also confirms the theatrical release date: 17 July 2026.

Keep ReadingShow less
Deepika Padukone to be honoured with Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2026

Deepika Padukone joins Hollywood Walk of Fame

Getty Images

Deepika Padukone to be honoured with Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2026

Quick highlights:

  • Deepika Padukone to be honoured with a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2026 under the Motion Pictures category.
  • She is the first Indian actress to receive the recognition, announced by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
  • The Class of 2026 also includes Emily Blunt, Rami Malek, Timothée Chalamet and Miley Cyrus.
  • Deepika expressed her gratitude on Instagram, calling the moment “Gratitude…”.

Deepika Padukone has been named among the 2026 honourees for the Hollywood Walk of Fame, becoming the first Indian actress to receive the distinction. The announcement, made during a live event hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, places her alongside a global line-up of actors, musicians, and broadcasters to be celebrated with their own stars on Hollywood Boulevard next year.

  Deepika Padukone to get Hollywood Walk of Fame star Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron about life in her 40s

Getty Images

Charlize Theron says sex in her 40s is better than ever as she speaks about her one-night stand with a 26-year-old

Quick highlights:

 
     
  • Charlize Theron revealed she recently slept with a 26-year-old and called the experience “really f---ing amazing”.
  •  
  • The actress made the candid admission during her appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast.
  •  
  • Theron spoke about her distaste for dating apps and why she’s happy being single.
  •  
  • Her latest film, The Old Guard 2, is now streaming on Netflix.
  •  
 

At 49, Charlize Theron says she’s enjoying a new sense of freedom, and it includes some unexpected, thrilling experiences. The Oscar-winning actress recently spoke about a sexual encounter with a 26-year-old that she described as “really f---ing amazing”, during her guest appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast hosted by Alex Cooper. Promoting her new Netflix film The Old Guard 2, Theron got candid about her dating life, past relationships, and how her forties have brought her a refreshing shift in perspective.

 Charlize Theron Charlize Theron poses with her Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role during the 76th Annual Academy AwardsGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
‘Ramayana’ teaser

Ranbir Kapoor appears as Lord Ram for the first time in the Ramayana teaser

Youtube Screengrab

‘Ramayana’ teaser drops as Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi lead Nitesh Tiwari’s epic saga

Quick highlights:

 
     
  • The teaser offers the first look at Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Yash as Ravan.
  •  
  • Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, Ramayana will release in two parts during Diwali 2026 and 2027.
  •  
  • The film features music by Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman and action by Hollywood stunt legends.
  •  
  • With a reported budget of £78 million (₹835 crore), it’s the most expensive Indian film to date.
  •  
 

The much-awaited teaser for Ramayana, starring Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Yash as Ravan, is finally out, though viewers will have to wait longer to see actual scenes from the film. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the teaser opts for a stylised introduction to the mythological world rather than full footage, with only fleeting glimpses of the lead characters revealed at the very end.

  Ramayana teaser out featuring Ranbir Kapoor and YashYoutube Screengrab

Keep ReadingShow less