Last night, I was invited to attend “an unforgettable evening of celebration featuring an all-star lineup of Asian artists” in the West End. RepresentAsian, a concert and fundraiser, spotlights the talent shaping the past, present, and future of theatre. It champions access, inclusivity, and opportunity in the performing arts, with proceeds supporting the work of The Boury Academy. The Academy was formed to help young Asian performers pursue professional training.
With Nina Wadia as compere, and free Dishoom chai available to all, this was a joyous event of music, community, and support. The line-up was hugely talented and representative of the continent as a whole: Roshani Abbey; Sameer Dhanjee; Hiba Elchikhe; Soophia Foroughi; James Hameed; Mia Kobayashi; Charlie Moscrop; Nadim Naaman; Shivaane Subash and Zheng Xi Yong.
Often, major musical theatre roles are regarded as unavailable to “brown-faces” who are left to fill the few roles written as Asian, or to create work from their own experiences. Having said this, the concert ensures that all types of musical and role are covered. Hameed, of course, sings a song from his Olivier-winning triumph, Paddington, but other performers dig into the work of Jerome Kern, Jule Styne, and Cy Coleman.
Songs from Asian-focused musicals like Rumi, Bombay Dreams and Your Lie In April sit alongside Waitress, Godspell, Wicked and Heathers. We also hear a song from the musical Lempicka (about Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka) and one from the upcoming musicalisation of The Notebook.
Each performer brings their own style and personal engagement with both the material and their family background. It is a celebration of “being yourself” in which many wear clothes that reference their heritage, or proudly speak about how they have believed in themselves and resisted being told what was possible for them.
It is impossible to single out a singer from this line-up. Some are old hands in the business, some are newly graduated. All are hugely talented. Wadia tells us of a supportive atmosphere backstage and encourages applause and encouragement from the audience. RepresentAsian feels worthwhile and engaging from the first song (“Louder Than Words” from Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick … BOOM!) until the encore by the whole company of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” (first heard in Blue Hawaii and later in Elvis musical All Shook Up).
The overarching theme of the evening, as described by RepresentAsian founder Ben Armstrong, is “love” in all its forms. The purity of its intention, the messy aspect of its conclusion, and everything in between. There’s also a great four-piece band who join in with gusto and imagination.
4 stars.
You can donate to the RepresentAsian crowdfunder at: https://www.crowdfunder.co,uk/p/representasian26
RepresentAsian: an evening of Asian talent was at the Lyric Theatre on 9 Nov 2026.