D'Arranged Marriage at Maidment Theatre

Tarun Mohanbhai and Rajeev Varma share the limelight.

Those Indian Guys - Rajeev Varma and Tarun Mohanbhai - are mining a rich vein of comedy with their story about a live-at-home bachelor trying to negotiate a pathway between family expectation and personal ambition.

Arranged marriages have become a comedy staple in Indian storytelling but the show remains fresh by using the topic as a catalyst for some sharp observations on the clash between traditional and contemporary values.

The show's anarchic humour is based on playful manipulation of the cliches and stereotypes of Indian culture.

Moments of intense emotion are expressed through a grab-bag of popular songs.

And the father of the main character is able to narrate his life story by stringing together a list of Indian movie titles.

The show was created by Rajeev Varma and Tarun Mohanbhai.

The two have developed an unusual touring regime in which they take turns performing the one-man show. On occasions they have cloned the production and delivered simultaneous performances in different cities.

When I went along, Mohanbhai was on stage. His performance combined a laconic voice for the stand-up but with wildly energetic moments in the dance routines.

The show has been on the road in Australia and Malaysia for four years and the touring experience has clearly provided plenty of opportunity for fine-tuning the gags and honing the menagerie of well-drawn characters. The result is a highly polished product.

The most engaging feature is the disarmingly honest tone used when directly addressing the audience.

This is most effective in the ironic, self-referencing confession of the main character, who dreams of making a career out of writing comedy. On the evidence of D'Arranged Marriage, Those Indian Guys are living the dream.

* D'Arranged Marriage at Maidment Theatre, to September 23, Orewa Centrestage Theatre, September 30