A tribute to Rishi’s father that celebrates resilience, love, and the enduring power of family.

First staged during the Esplanade’s Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts 2022, Can I Make You A Suit Mate? is a one-man extravaganza that weaves humour, heart and a touch of nostalgia into a sincere and capable performance that resonates deeply with its audience. Written and performed by comedian Rishi Budhrani, the show is set in a tailor shop, with Rishi taking on the role of a tailor named Jimmy, inspired by his own father, as he explores the lives, challenges, and victories that come with the immigrant experience.

Playing at Wild Rice @ Funan, the stage is transformed into a lively “shop” as Rishi embodies his own father—a tailor of many talents, as he effortlessly shows off mastery over languages from Hokkien to Malay. With every sip of chai, he begins to talk about his life, bringing his father’s world to life and capturing the rhythm of this bustling tailor shop before Singapore’s modern expat era. With Hindi songs playing in the background, there’s something comforting about watching him enjoy his chai, the radio, and a newspaper, anchoring us in the setting’s authenticity and drawing us into his world.

Using improv and his years of experience in comedy, Rishi displays seamless interaction with the audience. The thrust stage creates an intimate experience, and his anecdotes and stories are enthralling. At one point, he enlists “Mindy” from the audience as his assistant, with Rishi peppering their banter with witty observations about how she hails from the “Wild Wild West” and is now in “Wild Wild Rice,” underscoring Rishi’s quick wit and ability to make any audience member feel like a part of the story. Assisting in taking measurements for a graduation suit, the first sale is made!

As Jimmy continues to speak, so does the narrative, as he threading together memories of Rishi’s father’s tailoring days, familial values, and the immigrant hustle. From crafting shirts to befriending taxi drivers who ferried customers to the shop, Rishi’s storytelling stitches personal anecdotes with social commentary, telling us of the ‘mat saleh’ or the ‘ayam-faced’ tourists that came into Singapore at the time, and the route his grandmother took into Singapore, from Hyderabad.

The show seamlessly transitions from humourous to the dramatic, particularly when Rishi, as his father, delves into pivotal family moments. He talks about he was born on an old steam ship on the first of January 1964, and his old home In Bombay, and how difficult the path was working his way up from nothing at all, recalling tough times such as the racial riots in Singapore, and his very first store in Changi Village, the ‘Good Luck Store’. Breaking character, Rishi even recalls how he used to sit with his father at the shop, an emotionally resonant moment that tells of the bond between father and son.

Rishi’s storytelling is elevated by his expressive delivery and expert pacing. It unfolds by highlighting the unwavering support of mothers and his own mother’s love for his father, before guiding us to Block 18 in Bedok South, where there was strong support for the Sindhi community. Rishi uses a torchlight as a prop to engage us, and talks about how he (as Jimmy) took a huge risk to begin his own business with his mother’s blessing, after the burning of Abbas Department Store, underscored by ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”

With sharp wordplay, Rishi transports us to Change Alley, where Jimmy’s ability to make fast friends and collaborate lead to success. Even ‘Alice’, a waitress at a beer garden, contributes to his business by directing customers his way, as do taxi drivers who weave his shop into their narrative tours, all through ow charming Jimmy was. There is clear research that has gone into the tailoring of this script, reflecting his knack for detail, alongside deep personal accounts that form greater connection with the audience, in particular, recalling his father’s bypass surgery, making every moment feel authentic and richly layered. Each memory is laced with the wisdom of his parents: lessons about karma, love, and the sacrifices required to pursue happiness.

As we reach the finale, the entire show is tied together both literally and metaphorically, as Dylan’s perfectly fitted suit signals the completion of our journey. In this fitting end to a tender tribute to his father, he recalls his father’s words to him “Do what makes you happy”, underscoring the enduring bond between father and son. And with his signature smile, filled with pride and joy at recalling how much is father has gone through and how much respect he has for how he brought the whole family to where it is today, Rishi gives a final stamp of support for his father, as with a toothy grin, he cheekily asks, “Can I make you a suit, mate?”, a lighthearted conclusion to a heartfelt performance that leaves us with a profound sense of how Rishi’s father’s perseverance and love shaped his own path.

Can I Make You A Suit, Mate? played at Wild Rice @ Funan from 23rd to 27th October 2024.