Three decades ago, Ayub Dhin Khan’s East is East premiered at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Set against the backdrop of 1970s Salford, the play explores cultural clashes, fractured identities and the complexities of being in the mixed-race Khan family.
Directed by Kash Arshad, this production feels vivacious from the get-go. The premise follows a Pakistani immigrant, George, and his British wife, Ella as they try to manage their rebellious, British-born children. The revival skillfully balances domestic conflict about cultural expectations and how this relates to the wider picture of the 1971 India-Pakistan war and the growing hostility towards immigrants compounded by Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech. In doing so, it presents the Khans’ personal struggles as inseparable from the political pressures surrounding them.
At the heart of the conflict is George’s determination to preserve his idea of tradition by arranging marriages for his children. Bhasker Patel’s portrayal beautifully captures both his insecurity about prejudice alongside his explosive anger. The play’s absence of his eldest son Nazir is a reminder of the cost of these expectations and how coercion can ultimately drive families apart.
The show’s humour is complex and balances laugh-out-loud moments with the tragic undertone that these are characters in pain. Sajit, the youngest Khan child, is particularly memorable. Rohan Macleod perfectly captures his quirks and vulnerability. Constantly wearing a filthy parka and liking to hide in the coal shed, Sajit initially appears an amusing eccentric. However, his behaviour gradually reveals itself as a coping mechanism in his difficult, chaotic household.
Humour becomes an armour for the whole family. Samantha Power shines as Ella, the matriarch whose wit diffuses domestic tensions or trivialises them as she jokes with her close friend Annie (Victoria Brazier). Meanwhile, the children use the contrast between humour and solemnity to show their varying levels of respect for their father. Meenah (Maya Dhokia) adopts a sassy attitude as she carries out subtle acts of rebellion. Tariq (Zaki Ali) uses his father as a punchline meanwhile Maneer (Joeravar Sangha) defends him and urges the others to empathise with his cultural attitudes.
Arshad excellently creates a fluid, funny family dynamic that is also rich with pathos. This is most evident at the play’s climax where secret art student Saleem’s model of a vulva devastates George’s hopes of marrying off his sons, a moment both hilarious but nail-biting as we await George’s outburst.
Rachana Jadhav’s set and costume design effectively transports the audience back to the 1970s. From flared jeans to the small but homely household set-up with the washing line and patterned wallpaper, it feels so apt for its era.
Bolton Theatre’s revival of East is East is a captivating, well-delivered production. Rather than presenting a straightforward clash between British and Pakistani cultures, it explores the complicated relationship between family loyalty and personal freedom. Three decades after its premiere, its themes remain strikingly relevant, while ensuring that its difficult subject matter never becomes heavy-handed. Ultimately, this is a play about the desire to belong without losing oneself and Arshad’s production delivers that message with warmth.
East is East is running until 17th October at Citizens Theatre before touring the rest of the UK. Buy tickets here.
Image by Pamela Raith Photography, provided to The Student for press use.
