Homegrown

by Omar El-Khairy, Nadia Latif (Creator)

Sometimes your worst self is your best self. It's about shedding your skin - of slipping out of it, reborn - and free, finally. The site-specific response to the phenomenon of young people leaving Britain to join Islamic State is about to start. But Aisha, Laila and Farouk have had enough. Homegrown is an immersive show exploring the implications of radicalisation and extremism on the people and communities behind the headlines. Omar El-Khairy 's other plays include Burst , Sour Lips , The Keepers of Infinite Space and The or, a short tale of how we learned to love good Muslims whilst torturing bad ones . He is a former Leverhulme Associate Playwright at the Bush Theatre. Nadia Latif has directed work for theatres including the RSC, Almeida, Arcola, Tricycle, Theatre503 and Soho Theatre. She works exclusively in new writing. 'Homegrown is electric. Raw, honest, and compelling, no other play has so richly explored current discussions of radicalisation, Islamophobia, and youth disaffection' Arun Kundnani, author of The Muslims are Coming! 'To read Homegrown, and to imagine its live performance, is to become open to points of view completely hidden and unheard in today's clamorous world' Vron Ware, author of Who Cares About Britishness?

Genres: Plays

190 pages, Paperback

Published March 6, 2017

Reviews

[Sanna]

Read this for uni so no rating.

I am conflicted about this book. As a Muslim, it didn't teach me anything new but it touched on many of the issues surrounding Islamophobia from a range of perspectives. But I was so exhausted the whole time - this is my (and others') reality and seeing it all laid out in the play took a lot out of me.

[Erin]

The topics of this play (radicalization, 'belonging' in Britain) are especially salient at the time of writing this review, as the country is in turmoil about 'what to do' about the possible return of ISIS recruits. The play forces the reader/audience member to question how we talk about these difficult topics, especially knowing that young people are watching (and affected by) these conversations. The script itself is a short afternoon read. I would definitely recommend it to young audiences in Britain and Ireland.

[Sue Glover]

Such a shame that the important voices of these playwrights have been effectively silenced in the UK in respect of this work, and we may never get to see this highly original, relevant and striking drama on the stage.
The fact that Omar El Khairy and Nadia Latif could not even find a publisher makes me wonder what other writers are being silenced by fearful printers and venues in our so called free democratic society.

[Agnes]

Exceptional!