The Good Immigrant is the winner of the ‘Spirit of the Fringe’ award and ‘Community Event of the Year 2024’ award from Australia Day Council of SA, and it is these accolades that capture the heart of this production. Starting in flashbacks, Happy (CeeJay Singh) tells us his immigration story from India to Australia. He is innocent, cheerful and oblivious to the consequences of his actions in a foreign land. As the story unfolds the similarities between the European-Australian and Indian-Australian characters (a mutual love of cricket and women), as well as the clear differences (i.e. employment options, language) are swiftly rattled through. Experiences of racism are explored, whether in the workplace or on the street. Happy is surrounded by a community including his fellow immigrants (Hammad Zafar and Vrinda Bhutani) and work colleagues (Ognjen Trisic, Lauren Jones and Theodoros Papazis) who introduce him to Australian life. However, it is the juxtaposition of Happy’s own inherent prejudice with the prejudice he experiences in Australia that is perhaps the more interesting aspect attempted; however somewhat tricky to understand for those audiences not fully across the Indian caste system. Singh is sweet and smiley throughout his performance and supported by an equally enthusiastic and well meaning cast. The script is at times funny and thought-provoking, but suffers from surface exploration and frequent scene changes that means characters are somewhat superficial. With such rich subject matter, the play is crying out for a more in-depth text. The ensemble cast are well-meaning and will hopefully become more comfortable as the season progresses, with pace and projection being weak at this performance. With tighter direction and further workshopping of the piece, The Good Immigrant could be a profound story of contemporary immigrant life – but for now, it is a good community piece that will appeal to those who have experienced both sides of the coin.