Review: SPUN, Arcola Theatre

Aisha and Safa have been best friends since forever. As the pair get ready to finish university and embark on the next stage of their lives, it quickly begins to dawn on them that their relationship is about to change. It'll be the first time they do anything without the other; will they still be as tight at the end of it?

As Aisha returns to her school to become a TA, Safa takes on a traineeship in the city. Both jobs test the girls in ways they never imagined. Safa must now elevate her text and drink wine in order to fit in. And Aisha has become a role model for the young Muslim girls at the school.

Rabia Hussain's play is a delightful tale of two British Pakistani girls that grow up. But it's not as whimsical as it may seem; instead the story follows the journey of these two young women navigating through a world of prejudice and hate, in a city that's shaken by a recent terrorist attack.

The play questions how much a person should compromise in order to appease the crowd. Whilst Safa tolerates the subtle racism that comes from her colleague's mouths, Aisha becomes more rooted in her Pakistani culture, discovering her mother's old headscarf that she proceeds to wear.

Aisha marches for solidarity, compassion and equality. She wants her best friend to join her; but are they now too disillusioned to one another, and is their relationship beyond repair? Humaira Iqbal and Aasiya Shah are a strong pairing on stage. There are a few wobbles and moments of overacting, but on the whole the actresses create a believable relationship of a friendship struggling to reconnect.

Richard Speir's production is the most entertaining when he leaves it to the text to tell the story. There are bits of his choreography that seem oddly placed and pull focus from the message Hussain's writing tries to convey. And despite running at 80 minutes the show feels much longer than that, at times lacking energy.

I have a feeling that this production will get better the more it's put on. But it could have done with another week's rehearsals.

Spun at the Arcola Theatre until 28 July

Photo Credit: Alex Brenner

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