Blue Mist – Stratford East, London

We’re all invited to Chunkyz Shisha Lounge as Blue Mist continues its UK tour.

Blue Mist

Stratford East, it’s been a while! A shockingly long while actually – the last time I came here social distancing was in full force, and I took a seat on the stage for VR theatrical experience Petrichor. I’ve been saying this a lot recently, but I really must come more often.

The play that got me back here, in the end, was Blue Mist. First staged at the Royal Court in 2023, almost all of those originally involved in staging Mohamed-Zain Dada’s debut play have returned for this touring production, which started in Leeds and has dates in Birmingham and Leicester after London. Milli Bhatia directs once more, Tomás Palmer is the designer, with Elliot Griggs designing the lighting and Elena Peña the sound. Theophilus O. Bailey is the movement director. You get the picture. I think it says something about the strength of a work when so many of the creatives stay with it as it evolves. One difference is in the actors – Omar Bynon reprises the role of Jihad, which he originated at the Royal Court, but Azan Ahmed as Rashid and Kashif Ghole as Asif are new additions. Sanjeev Bhaskar continues to provide the voice of Chunky.

Having established who’s who, let’s talk about what’s what. Blue Mist is a story about friendship, community, and whether the ends justify the means. For Jihad, Rashid and Asif, Chunkyz Shisha Lounge is a home away from home. A place they can be themselves, a respite from a society in which young, South Asian Muslim men do not have the easiest path. Asif is looking for a wifey, but finds his dating app experiences disappointing. Rashid works at Heathrow but wants more for himself, starting with an aunties-only gym. Jihad is the only university-educated one amongst them, but also the only one out of work. A competition where the winner’s radio documentary will be produced and broadcast seems like an amazing opportunity.

Success, But At What Price

Jihad soon finds out, as the competition winner, that all that glitters is not gold. Ajami Media seems to be made up entirely of white executives who nudge him forcefully towards their own idea of what the story should be. And that’s not his vision: a story about Britain’s Muslim communities and what shisha lounges mean to them. Instead, their suggestions are more akin to the type of reductive, divisive stories that they believe to be ‘honest’ journalism. Or perhaps just what they think their listeners want. Will Jihad’s dream slip through his fingers? Or will he convince himself that he’s just paying his dues, playing the game so that the next time he can tell the story he wants to tell? Do the consequences for his friends, and for Chunkyz, even form part of the equation?

It’s a very good premise for a play. Firstly, it cleverly lets us into exactly that community space that Jihad’s documentary ultimately twists into something much less true to life. We see the three friends at ease, chatting about life, love, work, dreams, and disappointments. Dada has a great ear for dialogue, and the play remains funny even in the face of hurt and betrayal. These naturalistic scenes rife with banter are interspersed with more stylised scenes – indicated by the blue mist of the title – in which we enter Jihad’s mind, experience his anxiety, self-doubt, and regret. I didn’t think all of these felt entirely integrated. But I did think the intertwining of different styles elevated the work overall.

What really makes Blue Mist is the acting and direction. I didn’t see the Royal Court run, but I can’t imagine other actors as Rashid and Asif – Ghole and Ahmed were both perfect in their roles (and also when they embodied the world of Ajami Media). Bynon manages to make Jihad a sympathetic character even as we will him not to stay the course he’s on. And Bhatia keeps the scenes fast-paced which helps the witty dialogue to zing.

There isn’t long to catch Blue Mist at Stratford East, but do check on those other tour dates. I fear the play’s themes of subjective media representation and Islamophobia are more relevant, if anything, than they were three years ago. This remains an urgent and darkly funny piece of theatre.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

Blue Mist on at Stratford East until 14 July 2026 only. More info and tickets here.