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East is East (2006)

A co-production with Pilot Theatre, York Theatre Royal and the Octagon Theatre Bolton.

East is East was on tour from September 2005 and received great responses nationally. We were on tour until April 1st 2006.

East is East is the hilarious and moving story of what happens when two cultures collide within one family.

For George Khan (‘Genghis’ to his kids), life is an uphill struggle to get his family to conform to traditional Pakistani values. But this is Salford in the 1970s. George’s wife Ella is Lancashire born, and his seven kids have got minds of their own. Tomboy Meenah prefers playing footie to wearing a sari, hippy Saleem pretends to be studying engineering when he’s really at art school, heart throb Tariq has got a reputation as local Casanova, and Sajid hasn’t even been circumcised yet.

With one disastrous arranged marriage in the family already, George plots to bring his next two sons into line by marrying them off to the daughters of Mr Shah. When the Khan kids begin to oppose their father’s petty tyrannies, Ella is forced to make a choice between her husband and the right of her children to make their own ways in the world.

This play is set in Salford, in 1970, where the Khan children are buffeted this way and that by their Pakistani father’s insistence on tradition, their English mother’s laissez-faire, and their own wish to be citizens of the modern world.

Original production produced by Tamasha Theatre Company, The Royal Court Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Company.  First performed at Birmingham Rep Studio Theatre in October 1996.

Education Resource

The production was accompanied by an educational resource for teachers band students studying East is East.

East is East Education Pack PDF

By Ayub Khan-Din

Directed by Damian Cruden

Staff Director Asha Kahlon

Designed by Laura McEwan

Lighting by Ciaran Bagnall

Gallery