Reviews

1) London SE1 Community website  www.london-se1.co.uk

Siddhartha becomes the Buddha is a peaceful play that incorporates the wisdom and sensitive nature of the Buddha through adapted scenes of his life and events. By beginning the journey we watch him grow from ignorant prince, to enlightened leader, and ultimately to his departure from earth. This play is full of great music and lighting that sets the mood of serenity and peace. There is also dance performed by members of the cast.

The cast is comprised of Dipika Smith, Shankara Smith, Jayashri Wyatt, Suruchi Gero, Nurari Merry, Bhashini Neve, and Sarada Crowe. All these women together express a gentleness about the Buddha’s life, with occasional bits of humour, that wouldn’t be the same if it were a mixed gender cast. by Abigail Banks 2) TheatreWorld Internet Magazine  http://members.aol.com/mouseuk/stage This enchanting all female production charts the life of Buddha. Starting with his life as a rich prince in Nepal and following his journey to becoming the world famous spiritual leader he was by the time of his death at the age of eighty.

Good sets and beautiful costumes enhance the heartfelt performances of this deceptively simple, accessible play that concentrates on certain defining moments in the Buddha’s life.

Buddha began life as a rich, sheltered prince called Siddhartha but his extraordinarily gentle loving heart becomes apparent at an early age when he offers up his life in order to save a wild bird.

When he eventually escapes the confines of his Father’s palace and goes out into the world he sees suffering for the first time. This touches him so much that he decides to follow a spiritual path in an effort to find answers to alleviate suffering. The rest, as they say, is history…

This is a well written play that manages to include the important pivotal moments in Buddha’s life without being in anyway over long and there is never any sense of the plot dragging.

For somebody, like me, who knows precious little about Buddha and Buddhism this play is a perfect introduction and has whetted my appetite to find out more.

All the actresses look jaw droppingly fantastic in their beautiful saris and both Dipika Smith, who plays Prince Siddhartha, and Shankara Smith, who plays The Buddha, manage to convey something the gentle, loving and infinitely wise nature of this spiritual leader.

Go and see it and get enlightened at the Union. by Sarah Monaghan