Tamasha in association with Oldham Coliseum Theatre and the Bush Theatre
On the sixth anniversary of T’s death, his four friends meet as they always do for a game of pool and a few drinks. As they excavate the past and measure their own lives against T’s, secrets are revealed and allegiances shift as quickly as the drinks are downed. Can they put to rest the guilt they feel over T’s untimely death? And will their friendship survive the final betrayal?
Ishy Din’s razor-sharp new play provides a timely window into the lives of these young British Muslims – part of a ‘snookered’ generation – burdened by cultural expectations yet charged with personal dreams.
Special Event: Monday 19 March 6pm
The Snookered Generation: Juggling cultural expectations with personal dreams. Join us for this pre-show platform event featuring Gautam Malkani, Zaiba Malik, Ishy Din in conversation with Shiv Malik. Young, British and Asian in a time of national and global insecurity, high unemployment and financial crisis: what can Britain offer in 2012 to British Asian youth who are trying to make their way in our society? This event is FREE but reserve your ticket at Box Office (020 8743 5050).
Tamasha is an award-winning theatre company which has played a key role in driving the crossover of Asian culture into the British mainstream. Successes like East is East, A Fine Balance, Fourteen Songs, Two Weddings and a Funeral, Strictly Dandiaand The Trouble with Asian Men have won acclaim from critics and audiences alike.
Please note, this play contains stong language and is suitable for ages 16+.
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Iqbal began his directing career at the Leicester Haymarket and National Theatre Studio. His recent work includes EAST IS EAST (Birmingham Rep), A SLIGHT ACHE and LANDSCAPE (National Theatre), OTELLO (Associate Director – Birmingham Opera Company), TIME FOR THE GOOD LOOKING BOY (Box Clever UK Tour), OLEANNA (Bolton Octagon), RICHARD III (RWCMD), SIMPLY CINDERELLA (Associate Director – Curve), 16UP (Union Theatre and tour), TOO CLOSE TO HOME (Lyric Hammersmith and Library Theatre), MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Lyric Hammersmith and Minack Theatre) and BEAUTIFUL THING (Oldham Coliseum). His other work has been seen at the Union Chapel, Bloomsbury Theatre, the Edinburgh Fringe, the Bridewell, the Old Red Lion and in Japan. His future plans include RAFTA, RAFTA (Bolton Octagon and New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme), TREEMONISHA (Pegasus Opera), THE LAST PHOTOGRAPH (Edinburgh Festival) and BROKEN GLASS (Tricycle Theatre).
Ishy Din’s script John Barnes Saved My life was shortlisted as part of Radio 5 Live’s Sports Shorts competition and aired in 2004. He was then commissioned to write a piece for the BBC Brief Encounters series, has written for BBC Radio Newcastle, and came second in the British Asian writing competition BANG! in 2007 (Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Tamasha and BBC Writersroom, supported by Media Training North West). He has recently completed Sustenance with Deborah Bruce for New Writing North, with support from the Arts Council and the Peggy Ramsey Foundation, and a short Arvon Foundation writing residency with tutors Simon Stephens and Graham Whybrow. He is currently working on an idea for a new musical called Soul Brother with the support of the Adopt a Playwright scheme (OffWestEnd.com), and is also developing a short film Hijab, and a screenplay called Fraud.
Jaz's experience as an actor includes playing both Shakespearian and contemporary roles with the National Youth Theatre, The Young Vic, The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and Theatre 503. His experience also extends to the screen, having played roles in both short and feature-length films. His most notable credits are playing the Young Muslim in up-and-coming feature 'Clean Skin' staring Sean Bean as well as acting in Dominic Coleman's short film debut 'The Conference', directed by award-winning director Justin Edgar.
Asif trained at RADA. Theatre includes 'The Snow Queen' (Unicorn Theatre); 'Twelfth Night' (National Theatre); 'Mixed Up North' (Out of Joint) and 'Playback' (Ankur Productions). TV includes: Ashur Mohali in 'Spooks' (Series 10); 'Doctors'; 'Casualty'; 'Dalziel & Pascoe' and 'Torn' for the BBC; 'Bradford Riots' (Channel 4); 'The Liquid Bomb Plot' (Raw Television) and Terry Pratchett’s 'Going Postal' (Sky1).
Muzz trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. His theatre credits include: 'Antony and Cleopatra' (Liverpool Playhouse); 'Flathampton' (Royal and Derngate); 'Mixed Up North' (Out of Joint); 'Bully Richard' (Tara Arts); 'Fewer Emergencies' (Albany Theatre); 'One Nineteen' (Arcola Theatre); 'Blue Funk' (Old Red Lion) and 'Felt Effects' (Theatre 503). Television includes: '9/11' (Nutopia for Channel 4); 'Bradford Riots' (Oxford Films); 'No Angels' (World Productions) and 'Hetty Wainthropp Investigates' (BBC). Film includes 'Four Lions' (Warp Films); 'Iyi Seneler Londra' (ZZ Productions) and 'East Is East' (Film4). Radio includes Jinx Singh in 'Silver Street' (BBC Asian Network); 'An Imam and a Rabbi'; 'Siege'; 'Mercy'; 'Street and Lane'; 'Maps for Lost Lovers' and 'Mr Jones Goes Driving', all for BBC Radio 4. Muzz is also a resident DJ at the Ministry of Sound, London.
Peter's recent credits include new BBC One Drama 'The Syndicate'. He has also worked extensively in radio, performing in plays 'Writing the Century', 'Punjabi Boy' and 'An Imam and a Rabbi', all for the BBC. His most recent theatre work has been 'The Extremist' at the Bradford Alhambra.
Michael trained at the East 15 Acting School. Theatre credits include 'We Are a Muslim, Please' (Tamasha R&D); 'Sleeping Beauty' (Riverfront, Newport); 'Something’s Afoot' (Brewhouse Taunton/Swansea Grand); 'Welsh Woman Of The Year' (St. David's Hall, Cardiff); 'The Ark' (Kneehigh); 'The Masters Boy' (Tristan Bates Theatre); 'Animal Farm' (Theatre Royal, Plymouth); 'Joan Littlewood Charity Gala' (Theatre Royal, Stratford East); 'Oh What A Lovely War' (Corbett Theatre); 'Jack and the Beanstalk' (Theatre Royal, Stratford East) and 'Mister Spade' (Barbican Theatre, Plymouth). Television credits include 'The Roman Mysteries', 'Down To Earth' and 'Eastenders'. Film credits include 'The Manual', 'Christine James', 'Popcorn', 'Phonophobia' and 'No Verbal Response'. He has most recently been seen in the boy band 'The Churned' who were featured in the Yeo Valley yoghurt commercial.
