Stage: A place to call home

Blue Mist
by Mohamed-Zain Dada
director Milli Bhatia • designer Tomás Palmer
with Omar Bynon, Azan Ahmed, Kashif Ghole, Sanjeev Bhaskar
Theatre Royal Stratford East • 10-14.Jul.26
national tour 17.Jun-30.Jul.26 ★★★★

Carrying a very strong punch, this topical play is written with serious intent by Mohamed-Zain Dada, exploring issues that swirl around Muslims living in present-day Britain, specifically men with a Pakistani heritage. It's an energetic piece, bristling with life and culture, and packed with larger questions about identity and ambition. Quite a bit of the writing is very on-the-nose, but the points it makes about British society are important. And the larger themes have a wider resonance.

It's set around Chunkyz Shisha Lounge, a hang-out spot for young men looking for an alternative to pub culture. Three friends have found a home here: Jihad (Omar Bynon) is an aspiring journalist, Rashid (Azan Ahmed) is full of ideas to earn a living, and Asif (Kashif Ghole) is loyally in their corner. As they share gossip about the community and tease each other mercilessly, Jihad reveals that he is entering a competition to make a radio documentary. And when he wins, he decides to explore shisha culture. But the news media group mentoring him wants a juicier angle that plays up dodgy behaviour and racial divisions. Will Jihad betray his friends' secrets in order to launch his career?

This moral conundrum is powerful, and indeed it echoes far beyond the setting of this particular play. Like many first-time artists, Jihad thinks that compromising on this doc will allow him to be more honest in future work. And the context highlights an urgent aspect of a media agenda that deliberately politicises ethnicity, exploiting people to gain attention, oblivious to any harm caused. The way this plays out is darkly involving and also entertaining, largely because these three guys are so much fun to watch, with their hilarious wordplay, lively banter and close friendship. The terrific actors also give these men a superb physicality in eye-catching dance and fight choreography.

The stage is eye-catchingly simple: a shisha lounge with a neon backdrop. Lighting and smoke effects add clever touches, as does a major transformation in the final act. Sound is also used inventively, as Jihad makes audio recordings for his report (Chunky is voiced by iconic actor-comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar). All of this builds a sharp depiction of a subculture while focussing on three young men who simply want to pursue their careers and find happiness in life. The decisions they make create some powerfully emotional moments, leading to a final sequence that hits us right between the eyes. So even if the show is a bit too aware of its importance, it's still vivid and urgent.

For information, BOUNDLESS THEATRE >

photos by Ali Wright • 10.Jul.26