Community - Birmingham Rep

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Thu 30 Jan 2025 - Sat 08 Feb 2025

Birmingham Repertory Theatre is to stage the premiere of a brand-new comedy-drama set in the city. Community will be performed in The Rep's intimate performance space, The Door, from Thursday 30 January to Saturday 8 February as part of the theatre's early Spring season.

Set in the heart of Birmingham, Community is a play exploring friendship, identity and belonging. It has been created by Birmingham-born writer Farrah Chaudhry, alumni of The Rep’s highly acclaimed artist development programme, The Foundry.



Local actor, Sabrina Nabi takes on the role of Zoya – a pampered young woman from Birmingham's well-to-do Edgbaston area, struggling with a lack of purpose and her parents finally cutting her off financially. Kerena Jagpal takes on the role of Zoya’s hardworking and dependable friend Leyla, who dedicates her time to helping others. She lives with her housemate Khalil, a Syrian refugee played by Sayyid Aki, who will be making his professional stage debut whereas Sabrina and Kerena are returning to The Rep.

The play sees Zoya cut off by her parents, forcing her to turn to old friend Leyla for help. Comedy ensues when Zoya is forced to start volunteering at the community centre and actually starts thinking about others for once. Things are going well until Zoya lets Leyla down at a talent contest at the community centre.



Playwright Farrah Chaudhry said: “I wanted to tell a story that celebrated brown and Muslim people at a time where we are constantly degraded and dehumanised. I wanted to show characters who were fun, funny, flawed, human, complex, kind, and on journeys of healing, loved and loving, rather than how we are often portrayed on TV, film or stage. This play is a love letter to Birmingham too, celebrating all that we are in community - something that's been really important to me recently.”

Following its run at The Rep, Community will embark on a two-week tour of libraries, schools and community venues across the West Midlands. The production is also aiming to be a Green Book sustainably-made theatre production - part of a theatre industry initiative to tackle climate change from waste reduction to printing posters on recycled paper.



For more information about Community , and to book tickets, visit here.

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