Dee Ahluwalia on starring in Hanif Kureishi's 'The Buddha of Suburbia' at the Barbican

Dee Ahluwalia talks to LondonTheatre.co.uk Magazine about what playing the role of Karim means to him and working alongside "buoyant director" director Emma Rice.

Dee Ahluwalia thought he’d have loads of spare time after finishing his role as Karim in the RSC’s Stratford production of The Buddha of Suburbia earlier this year – but that wasn’t the case. The play transferred to the Barbican in October.

“We were so grateful for the response we got in Stratford; we all felt a bit moreish,” says Dee. “So we were so happy to get news of the transfer. Especially as Hanif [Kureishi, writer] couldn’t travel to Stratford, so knowing he’ll be able to come and see it in London, and to perform in front of a London crowd, is amazing.

How did you get into theatre?
I came into acting relatively late, after doing a degree in something different. In my final year at uni, I went to an open casting call – I didn’t get the role but they said I should take it more seriously. I did a Masters in acting for screen, and after a stint in TV, got a job in theatre and just thought it was incredible and that there was nothing like it. It felt so alive, more experiential and, being a big sports fan, it’s similar to the adrenaline rush you get from that.

What does playing the role of Karim mean to you?
The first time Karim comes out to the audience, he immediately makes a connection with them – talking to them directly in a stand-up style... that was difficult as he’s so vibrant and just assumes “why can’t we have this connection?” So learning that as an actor, going out on stage needing to get the audience onboard was a tough aspect. In terms of his experience growing up, because he’s a mixed-race teen and the whole show is about him navigating that – and not knowing who he is, it resonated with me, as I was adopted from birth. So that’s also a core feature of my life, asking who I am – and really I think that essence of “who am I?” runs through all of us. That core theme of figuring ourselves out.

What’s it like working with director Emma Rice?
I’ve never worked with such a buoyant director. Emma is one of those people that you meet and afterwards just feel better about life! She makes things seem magical. I learned so much from working with her... I think I came in as an actor almost too serious, but working with Emma taught me why we do it – for fun, to entertain the audience. Her work is so fairytale-like, which marries perfectly with Hanif’s visceral style of storytelling. It’s the best thing watching audience members smiling and laughing, feeling love, joy and hope.

Book The Buddha of Suburbia tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Dee Ahluwalia. (Photo courtesy of production)