by Zahid Fayyaz
At the west London’s prestigious new writing venue comes the world premiere of Azan Ahmed’s newest play, a two-hander within the theatre’s intimate studio house. Running for a good 70 minutes, the story is about trainer Yusuf, performed by Ahmed himself. He goes by means of his just lately deceased’s father’s issues, and finds some previous tapes which reveal that he was a rapper. Listening to the tapes, he begins to know extra about his father, while additionally going by means of the method of grieving a person who was a ‘statue’ in entrance of the TV for many of his life.
The play could be very well-written and acted, with actual feeling and coronary heart within the dialogue and efficiency. The subplot tracing Yusuf’s new job as head of English dovetails into the primary story of him grieving his father, when he over-reacts to a scholar, Khalil, calling Hamlet a radical. Khalil is performed by Jonny Khan as clever however cautious, and it’s a splendidly empathetic efficiency general.
The greatest elements of the present, when it actually comes alive, are the rap and spoken phrase scenes. The language is vibrant and the gang are absolutely drawn into the world of the play. Although there are a number of plot holes within the narrative and timeline of occasions, these are minor points in what’s a formidable new play. This is a manufacturing value catching whereas its on, and marks Azan Ahmed as a reputation for the longer term. I’ll definitely be all in favour of catching no matter he decides to do subsequent.
Statues runs by means of 9 November.
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