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An Ordinary Muslim

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 5m

Hammaad Chaudry

Balancing their parents’ high expectations, Muslim religious doctrines and the demands of secular Western culture, Azeem Bhatti and his wife Saima struggle to straddle the gap between their Pakistani heritage and their British upbringing.

An Ordinary Muslim

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 5m
  • Duration
    Duration
    More than 120 minutes (2 hours)
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult

Details

Summary

Balancing their parents’ high expectations, Muslim religious doctrines and the demands of secular Western culture, Azeem Bhatti and his wife Saima struggle to straddle the gap between their Pakistani heritage and their British upbringing.

With deep compassion, Hammaad Chaudry brings to life a recognizable and unforgettable family, and with sharp intellect, asks potent questions about the challenges of integration and assimilation for immigrants in today’s global world. As witnesses, we are all forced to confront pressing questions about the nature of belonging and our own internal prejudices about that which is “other.”

History

An Ordinary Muslim premiered off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop on 7 February 2018. Directed by Jo Bonney, the production featured Purva Bedi, Ranjit Chowdhry, Angel Desai, Sanjit De Silva, Andrew Hovelson, Harsh Nayyar, Sathya Sridharan and Rita Wolf.

Cast Attributes
Keywords
Performing Groups

AZEEM BHATTI – British Pakistani, mid 30’s.
SAIMA KHAN – British Pakistani, mid 30’s.
MALIKA BHATTI – Pakistani, mid 50’s.
AKEEL BHATTI – Pakistani, late 60’s.
JAVERIA BHATTI-MIRZA – British Pakistani, late 30’s.
DAVID ADKINS – British White, mid to late 30’s.
HAMZA JAMEEL – British Pakistani, mid to late 20’s.
IMRAN JAMEEL – Pakistani, early 70’s.

  • Time Period Contemporary
  • Setting

    The living room of the Bhatti home, a pub, the local mosque. West London, England. 2011.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes/Street Clothes
  • Duration More than 120 minutes (2 hours)

Media

“Riveting... Hammaad Chaudry is no ordinary playwright.” – The Wrap

“Engaging... A timely look at the traumas of dislocation among the children of Muslim immigrants in England... an important work.” – Jesse Green, The New York Times

“Potent... An Ordinary Muslim is its playwright’s professional debut, and it’s an impressive one. The play feels solid, nurtured, strong-boned... Chaudry has created a meticulous, empathetic ensemble drama — all eight of his characters feel nuanced, human — but the heart of his pain is located in the father and son, Akeel and Azeem.” – Sarah Holdren, Vulture

“Fascinating... for the authentic-feeling glimpses it gives into an adapting community. An Ordinary Muslim is reminiscent of the kitchen sink dramas in Great Britain in the 1960s, full of angry young men. But this is a changed Great Britain; its angry young man, as Azeem puts it, has a brown Muslim face now.” – New York Theater

Videos

  • An Ordinary Muslim - NYTW Promo youtube thumbnail

    An Ordinary Muslim - NYTW Promo

  • An Ordinary Muslim – New York Theatre Workshop Featurette youtube thumbnail

    An Ordinary Muslim – New York Theatre Workshop Featurette

  • An Ordinary Muslim - NYTW Promo 2 youtube thumbnail

    An Ordinary Muslim - NYTW Promo 2

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £55 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Scripts

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Authors

Hammaad Chaudry

Hammaad Chaudry
Hammaad Chaudry is a U.S.- and U.K.-based playwright. His plays include An Ordinary Muslim, which recieved its world premiere at the New York Theatre Workshop, where he was the Tow Foundation Playwright in Residence. The play was the recipient of The Edgerton Foundation New P ...
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