Second Act

Get to know Indian-American actor Bhavesh Patel, who’s repping brown in American theatre – more specifically, on Broadway

Most people who went to watch Present Laughter during its four-month stint on Broadway this year were probably there for Tony-awardee Kevin Kline, hilarious as an ageing matinee idol. Maybe some, like me, came for Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother), playing a seductress in slinky silks.

No one was expecting to be blown away by the ‘crazy playwright’ played by the Indian guy. Yet, there was Bhavesh Patel, pacing around Kline, his nervous histrionics pleasantly clashing with Kline’s elegant artifice, the audience roaring for more of his bouncy banter and wondering, “Who is this guy?”

As the curtain falls at the iconic St James Theatre, I rifle quickly through the playbill and find Patel, on page 14. Meanwhile, back on stage, he and Smulders have broken out into a ‘shimmy dance’ – their version of a victory huddle. Later, I track Patel down in his green room, where he’s unwinding with his glass of rye whiskey, basking in the euphoria that generally follows a high-octane live performance.