The absurdity of love and gossip unfolds in 'Tea: The Musical'

Have you ever witnessed a couple so chaotic, so tragically in love (and also very much not), that it made you rethink all your life choices? Did you watch them fight in public, cry in cafés, and get back together before the cappuccino cooled? Now imagine that entire fever dream with songs, choreography, a supernatural being, and a truckload of gossip. That’s Tea: The Musical — and it’s going to scald your brain, in the best way. 

This isn’t your average musical. There’s no tragic death, no big redemption arc, and absolutely zero closure. What you will get, though? A whirlwind of messy relationships, unreliable narrators, supernatural interludes, and the kind of brutal gossip you swear you’d never share — unless, of course, it’s over a steaming cup of chai. The play directed by AK Mikayil (who also co-wrote the script with Hanna and Ankitha), is a bold, irreverent, and absurdly real take on toxic relationships and the unfortunate people stuck in their blast radius. 

Set around two unsuspecting acquaintances who realise they’re connected through this volatile duo, the show uses music, dance, satire, and just a little mythos to dissect the toxic relationship phenomenon. No one’s safe. Not the couple, not their enablers, and certainly not the audience’s own baggage. 

And there’s no neat ending. “There’s no catharsis per se because there’s absolutely no closure at the end of the play,” Mikayil admits. “It’s light-hearted, it’s funny — but it makes people uncomfortable. It talks about the absurdity of toxic relationships, gossip, and having bad friends who are just not good for you.”

That discomfort is entirely intentional. The musical doesn’t moralise. It doesn’t give you a hero to root for. Most characters are deeply flawed — on purpose. “The big takeaway is that horrible people usually don’t take responsibility for their actions — and we want the audience to start recognising that,” the director adds. “This show is about looking inward, asking why you behave a certain way in your relationships. It’s about accountability.”

Olivia, who plays a lead, had this to say: “The first time I read the script, I thought, this is the craziest line I’ve ever read. Then I read the next one and I realised I was wrong. It just keeps getting more unhinged.” That unfiltered energy carries through the entire show, where narrative reliability is thrown out the window and the line between truth and bias is gloriously blurred. Kirsten reflects on a key scene: “There’s this therapy session where my character tells this utterly bizarre story — but he believes in it so fully. That’s how toxic relationships are. They happen. People convince themselves it’s okay.” And Madhulika adds the final gut-punch: “You’re meant to judge these characters. But in doing so, you end up judging yourself. That’s when the play really hits home.”

With choreography by Damien and Amritashri, Tea: The Musical balances glitter and grit in equal measure. Mikayil throws sentimentality out the window in favour of absurdist honesty, keeping the audience dancing on a tightrope between discomfort and delight. Expect chaos, comedy, and emotional whiplash — but don’t expect a neat ending.

On13 April 2025. At 3 pm and 6 pm. At Alliance Française Madras.