Before he heads out of Stratford to a bright future, Dee Ahluwalia talks about playing Karim in the dazzling Buddha of Suburbia at the RSC

Rather incredibly, The Buddha of Suburbia is only Dee Ahluwalia’s second stage appearance. He’s dazzling in the central role of narrator Karim. Author Hanif Kureishi partially based the character on himself for his semi-autobiographical 1990 novel, about growing up in 1970s suburbia. Before Emma Rice’s brilliant production ends this Saturday, Gill Sutherland caught up with Dee, 28, before he heads out of Stratford to an undoubtedly bright future.

It is such a bold and joyous show, what’s the vibe like in the company?

The first time the company ever met, Emma [director Rice] had us playing games all day – literally ball games. The idea is that you build a company with spirit and the idea of keeping the ball alive together. It’s so important for a piece like this because where it’s so fast-paced and everyone has to hit their cues and be singing off the same hymn sheet. It’s very collaborative. I’ve got the easiest job, I just play Karim whereas everyone else is coming in and doing all sort lots of incredible stuff, there are very Bollywood moments.

You say you’ve got it easy, but the focus on you – and it opens with you addressing the audience standup-like. That must be intense.

It’s funny that you bring it up because it’s always the most important part for me. Throughout rehearsals I’d go through ebbs and flows of like “I’ve got it, this is going to be great!” or “This is never going to work!”. And then the first preview came, walking out to the mic, seeing actual faces rather than empty seats, and as soon as we said the first bit – “hello” and hearing that response [everyone is encouraged to shout hello back], it was electrifying. It was one of the best experiences of my life. The whole play is so exuberant, but with that first bit you almost lure the audience into a false sense of “this play is going to be very simple”, but it’s not, there’s so much going on. So, it’s my favourite bit in the play, I just love it.

Karim is very assured and charming, is that something that comes naturally to you?

I’m not like Karim – I don’t automatically walk into a room and think people are going to like me. I have to get into Karim’s mindset. He doesn’t feel like he needs to win anyone over because he’s so open. And it’s like, “why not come with me on this journey”. That’s the kind of energy to have as Karim, which is really amazing.

You’ve got a masters in economics – so there’s a story there! What was your route into acting?

I went to a state grammar school in Reading, and did theatre studies A-level. There were five of us in a year group of 200. Drama wasn’t something people did. Coming out of school being an actor wasn’t really a thing – so I went and did a business degree at Nottingham followed by a masters in economics in London. When I was in my final year at Nottingham, me and my friends used to go out a lot, get drunk and talk about wanting to be actors. We never did anything about it, then one of my friends heard about an open cast call for a Channel Four show directed by Peter Kosminsky. I went along with no idea what it entailed. It was a cold read with Kate Bone from Nina Gold [top notch casting directors]. I just remember doing it and for the first time feeling “oh, this feels like what I’ve always wanted to do”. In the end I didn’t get it but they were amazing and offered me support. Naively I thought I would finish my masters and then get acting work – it didn’t work out like that, but Kate and Nina advised me to get some training. So I applied for a one-year MA in acting at Central School of Speech and Drama in London.