SILENTLY HOPING

Kalila Masri is a woman on the cusp of thirty and a life-changing decision. Will she have a child with her partner, Charlotte? She wants to say yes. She does say yes. But Kalila has always struggled with reconciling her identity as British with being a Muslim.

Her mother is concerned she can’t handle it, Charlotte is convinced everything will be fine, and both of them just want Kalila to finally commit to… something.

An out of the blue confrontation with her estranged father completely derails Kalila and she is left asking the big existential question: Who am I?

She’s a Londoner, she’s British-Asian, she’s a millennial, she’s fallen in love with a woman, and she’s a Muslim. But what does all that mean and what does she really want? And is it too late to figure that out?

A play by Iskandar إسكندر R. bin Sharazuddin and directed by Mingyu Lin 林铭宇 that looks at what it means to come from a mixed cultural heritage. A piece that explores identity, class, and faith through interpersonal dynamics and character led writing.

Trailer

Partners and Support

Silently Hoping

11 March 2018: Arcola Theatre
20 – 24 February 2019: VAULT Festival
27 – 31 November 2019: Applecart Arts

Creative team

Written by:		Iskandar إسكندر R. bin Sharazuddin
Direction:		Mingyu Lin 林铭宇
Set Design:		Charlotte Henery
Costume Design:		Charlotte Henery
Lighting Design:		Jai Morjaria (Applecart Arts)
		Simisola Majekodunmi (VAULT Festival)
Sound Design:		Archita Kumar
Stage Management:		Jasmine Teo (Applecart Arts)
		杉本 Nemo Martin (VAULT Festival)
Graphic Design:		Jeffrey Phillips
Images and Media:		Tristan Fennell
		Jack Parker

Cast

Arcola Theatre

Kalila Masri:		Annice Boparai
Charlotte Ikande:		Comfort Fabian
Haji Masri:		Shiraz Khan
Anna Ikande:		Comfort Fabian
Jack Nguyen:		Max Keeble

VAULT Festival

Kalila Masri:		Mona Khalili
Charlotte Ikande:		Comfort Fabian
Haji Masri:		Shiraz Khan
Thérèse Watts:		Denise Stephenson
Anna Ikande:		Velda Hassan
Jack Nguyen:		Stephen Hoo

Applecart Arts

Kalila Masri:		Jazmine Hudson-Owen
Charlotte Ikande:		Deborah Oyelade
Haji Masri:		Shiraz Khan
Thérèse Watts:		Denise Stephenson
Anna Ikande:		Velda Hassan
Jack Nguyen:		Michael Phong Le

Reviews

“Explores themes that I would love to see highlighted in more theatre, in a complex and lifelike way.” – Strand The Arts and Culture Magazine

“Providing a crucial platform for queer people of colour and their stories.” – VideoBlogg

“Quality family drama about a woman craving a connection with a far away parent and culture she’s grown up without. Aces the Bechdel Test.” – Bechdel Theatre