ONE of the great strengths of Edinburgh King's Theatre lies in the diversity of shows available - it is fitting that this week’s show Anita and Me covers the topic of diversity in such a touching yet humorous away, writes our theatre critic Kerry Black.

Having previously read the book and seen the film by Meera Syall (of Goodness, Gracious Me fame), I was intrigued to see how Tanika Gupta’s stage adaptation would pan out.

From the opening set with its dingy miners’ houses, populated by working class women in peenies with fags, we were shown how Meena (dazzlingly played by Aasiya Shah) and her family stuck out as the only Asians in the village in the politically incorrect 1970s, when casual racism could turn to brutality at any moment.

Meena dreams of being like her blonde, brassy neighbour Anita (Laura Aramayo) - who looks like she fell of the cover of The Jackie – unaware of the deprivation of Anita’s home life.

It is a story of families, ambition, the struggle to better yourself no matter what your background and most touchingly, the compassion of women, especially in the pakora and jam tart scene between Meena’s raucous granny, Nanima (Rina Fatania) and her elderly next door neighbour Mrs Worrall (Therese Collins).

Bollywood meets disco over a hilarious dinner party involving fish fingers and saris!

There are strong performances throughout. I was amazed to discover at the interval that Rebekah Hines played both Mrs Ormerod with her pleas to “Save The Heathen Soul” and Anita’s battered trollope of a mother, Deirdre.

Shobna Gulati, who famously played the ditsy Anita in Dinnerladies, is very vulnerable as Meena’s mother, torn between trying to better herself in Britain and missing her family in India, while Robert Mountford plays her polyester clad dad!

Hilarity ensues every time Meena’s cringeworthy Aunty Shaila (Sejal Kehwala), appears in her glitzy saris, dragging along her poor daughters in the kind of hideous outfits Meena’s parents wish she would wear, while Uncle Amman (Aaron Virdee) adopts a “British uniform” of blazer and slacks!

If like me you lived through Cathy and Claire, boys on choppers and miners strikes, you will love this show as it interlaces original songs with a 1970s soundtrack. However, this is a story sure to ring true to all generations.

Neale Birch and his entire creative team deserve to be very proud of this production.

Anita and Me runs till Saturday April 1 at The Kings Theatre, Edinburgh. Phone 0131 529 6000 to book tickets.