CeeJay Singh is known as ‘Happy’ due to the pleasant disposition he displayed as a child growing up in India. Inspired by his love of cricket, the adult Happy moved to Adelaide for university. The resulting culture shock has provided the inspiration for The Good Immigrant, currently playing at Trades Hall in the Melbourne Fringe Festival.Â
Singh has a relaxed stage presence and is adept at switching between Happy and some of the characters that he meets as he adjusts to life in Australia. There are also some interactions with his mother who appears via an offstage vocal recording. The interactions with this mother persona are a bit hit and miss and don’t work as well as when Singh is the sole focus of attention.
When he plays the ‘Aussie’ characters, he’s more successful, as he has the natural acting skills to pull it off. The funniest moments of the show are when Happy has misunderstandings with the locals over Australian slang and culture. Not all the comedic material works, but Singh’s charisma does keep the audience engaged until the show takes a turn towards the serious.Â
The Good Immigrant changes tone when Happy starts to encounter racism and Singh does a good job of retelling these uncomfortable scenes and playing some of the nasty people with whom he interacts. The racism he faces in Australia is contrasted with the caste system back in India.
Lower caste citizens in India are referred to as ‘untouchables’ and Happy has been brought up as seeing them as beneath him – they are not to be associated with in any way apart from when they are in servitude to so-called higher castes. Singh’s recounting of his own personal bias is brave and reminds the audience of the difficulty everyone encounters with societal prejudices.
When he moves to Australia, the ‘untouchables’ become those whose background is not white European and Happy faces physical and verbal threats due to his skin colour. But there are also heroes who help Singh and help him find his place in his new home. These heartwarming moments help the audience feel more optimistic about the society in which we live.
It is not just white Australians that are guilty of racism in this show. The Indian communities’ own issues with the caste system are transferred to Australia and Singh isn’t afraid to look at Happy’s participation in this and his attempts to reconcile his beliefs.
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The Good Immigrant has some hilarious moments of culture shock comedy – not all the humour is strong, but the show really shines in its thoughtful examination of racial bias in India and Australia. Singh is a talented performer and has written a show that will leave you examining your own prejudices.
The Good Immigrant
Trades Hall
Written and Performed by CeeJay Singh
Presented by: C J Productions
Tickets: $10-$28.50
The Good Immigrant will be performed until 13 October 2024 as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival.
