Blue Mist Review: a hazy observation of Muslim reductionism and shisha lounges
- Jack Davey
- Jun 19
- 3 min read
18 June 2026 I 19:45 I Leeds Playhouse - Courtyard (UK Tour)
⭐⭐⭐ I PR - Invite
In 2023, the Royal Court Theatre premiered Blue Mist, a new play written by Mohamed-Zain Dada. It takes place in Chunkyz Shisha Lounge where Jihad, a 25 year-old South Asian man, pursues a career in journalism to challenge stereotypes and fear-driven narratives in the media. Joined by friends Rashid and Asif, this UK touring revival witnesses vital conversations on Muslim reductionism, if sometimes clouded by its staging choices.
Combining styles of dark humour and political drama, it delves between realism and the surreal, in which the 'blue mist' takes over. The realist scenes take place in Chunkyz, a hookah lounge named after its highly mentioned though never seen owner (voiced by TV star and broadcaster Sanjeev Bhaskar).
There is a natural sentiment to these moments, a home away from home where the young men embrace their heritage in a safe environment. Their male friendship is lively, with copious amounts of humour in Dada's script. There is frequent use of urban colloquialisms, such as yo and bruv, that bookend a lot of the lines. And this doesn't always work in theatre, as they can diminish the remainder of the text by being overly reliant on feeling brotherly.
Omar Bynon does an honourable job of portraying Jihad, where his success as a news reporter sees his voice censored by his white, senior peers. His narrative is forced by the media's desire to profit on the conflict in Muslim communities, in turn exploiting and harming his friends. Yet despite the hurt he causes, Jihad is equally a victim of censorship, Bynon highlighting this inner turmoil with great astuteness.
The play has a couple of short musical numbers, where Jihad picks up a microphone and firstly turns the words serious journalism into a repeated rave-style song... it can border on cringe! The second however is titled A Spoonful Of Muslim, a subversion of the hit Mary Poppins track. Taking a beloved Western song, it is uncomfortably powerful in critiquing the media's exploitation of Muslims as a tool for reads and fearmongering.
During realist scenes in Chunkyz, Asif (Kashif Ghole) falls slightly weaker. Where Jihad and Rashid's delivery is contained in the space and towards one another, many of Ghole's lengthier pieces of text are outward to the audience. This breaks the intimacy between the three guys, as Asif doesn't appear natural in the space, though Ghole's late show performance is remarkably emotional. And his turn as BBC reporter Fiona Matthews unsettles with a smiling, comic cynicism.
The same power can be said for Azan Ahmed's Rashid, who leads as the most compassionate of the trio, with a really strong grasp of modern masculinity. Rashid has history as a youth offender following an act of self defence from a racist attack, and Ahmed handles the topic with a delicate sincerity. And although Chunky, as earlier mentioned, only features in brief audio interludes, his presence still feels heavy as an older, guiding presence (grounded by the giant CHUNKYZ neon sign upstage).
The design from Tomás Palmer is minimal, though highly investing in its contrast. Following Jihad's interview, a large platform descends on the shishabar, resetting the space as a boxing ring and transforming the space into a site of conflict. Due to the script's focus on media (particularly radio), there are a number of pre-recorded pieces across the show. Perhaps one or two of these could have benefitted from being staged live, as a lack of visual action can result in audiences disengaging.
Fuelled by Muslim stories and multicultural language (featuring Urdu/Punjabi loanwords), Blue Mist's themes on censorship and Islamophobia in media are unfortunately all too potent. While the theatrics of Milli Bhatia's direction sometimes impress, including Theophilus O. Bailey's hypnotic movement direction, its momentum is too unsettled to make an honest impact. However, to see South Asian men take to the UK stage in such a lived manner, I have no doubt that audiences will find a homeliness through Blue Mist.
UK Touring Information: https://boundlesstheatre.org.uk/productions/blue-mist/
