The art of storytelling comes to life in this simple yet striking production of Made in (India) Britain, the bubbly and biographical tale of Rinkoo (Roo) Barpaga, a Brummy Brit of Punjabi heritage with the challenge of being born deaf.

Playfully and with much skill, Roo tells his coming-of-age tale with little to work with but a chair and a spotlight. From getting to know his first tribe in the back of a council taxi to school, to helping his uncle find a wife, he draws his audience in with wonderful humour and a touch of drama. It feels truthful, with knowing half truths mixed in – such as winning a job for his looks – which somehow makes the story more real.

Built to cater for all audiences, he brings along his translator, Mathias André, who does an incredible job of bringing Roo’s British Sign Language to life, complementing Roo’s style without distracting from it . There’s also closed-captions available, which brought an audience usually separated by communication type together.

This show is all about how different Roo feels, wherever he is and whoever he’s with, but also about how much he is the same: from his desire to do anything for a McDonalds as a kid, to having shitty bosses as an adult. This achievement is no mean feat, yet somehow effortless for Barpaga. This show could very much go the way of Fleabag, moving from chair on stage, to TV series for the ages.

Seeing Rinkoo Barpaga tell his story was a unique experience with a unique audience, while being familiar and open to all. Highly recommend you catch this tour.