Archives: Plays

Title: Place

Author: Tamara Al Saadi

Year: 2019

Geography: Europe > Western Europe > France

Synopsis: Place (2019) is an autofictional play following Yasmine, a woman caught between Iraq and France, who suddenly loses the ability to read and must retrace her personal and cultural history. Through fractured memories, the work explores assimilation, exile, and hybrid identity, blending humor with poignancy. Minimalist staging emphasizes “non-places,” highlighting the fluidity of belonging and the mental chronotope of cultural dislocation.

Publication: Al Saadi, T. (2019). Place. KOINE.
Title: Black

Author: Keith Saha

Year: 2018

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Black follows Nikki, whose father insists he’s not racist—just protective of his community. When a Zimbabwean family moves in, tensions rise: the dog barks, kids throw stones, and her dad enforces unwelcome rules. The play delivers a sharp, unsettling look at contemporary UK racial divides.

Publication: Saha, K. (2018). Black. In Black and She’s Leaving Home Two Plays (pp. 6–41). London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Title: To Rahtid

Author: Sol B. River

Year: 1997

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: To Rahtid is a raw, non-linear monologue in Jamaican patois, exploring the inherited pain and fragmented legacy of the African diaspora. Shifting between voices of Africa, England, Jamaica, and “Rebel England,” it’s a visceral cry against history’s wounds, demanding endurance, reflection, and confrontation with cultural memory.

Publication: River, S. (1997 2023). To Rahtid. In River: Plays (pp. 46–56). London: Oberon Books.
Title: Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat

Author: Yussef El Guindi

Year: 2019

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: In Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat by Yussef El Guindi, Arab-American writers Noor and Gamal navigate love, ambition, and cultural representation in the U.S. Gamal’s frustrations with media portrayals escalate into mischief targeting celebrity writer Mohsen and mosque leader Sheikh Alfani, while Noor’s publishing opportunity sparks ideological clashes. The play explores identity, generational ties, and the complexity of Muslim-American life with humor, intensity, and rich, multi-dimensional characters.

Publication: El Guindi, Y., & Najjar, M. (2019). Our Enemies: Lively Scenes of Love and Combat. In The Selected Works of Yussef El Guindi (pp. 56–132). London: Bloomsbury Methuen Drama.
Title: The Invisible

Author: Rebecca Lenkiewicz

Year: 2015

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: The Invisible explores the consequences of denied legal aid. Imagining a world where landmark cases like the Stephen Lawrence case and Hillsborough disaster never reached court, the play tells the stories of ordinary people struggling for justice, highlighting how cuts to legal aid deepen societal inequalities and silence vulnerable voices.

Publication: Lenkiewicz, R. (2015). The Invisible. In The Invisible (pp. 10–96). London: Faber and Faber.
Title: The Death of a Black Man

Author: Alfred Fagon

Year: 2021

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: The Death of a Black Man by Alfred Fagon, revived at Hampstead Theatre, charts the struggles and ambitions of 1970s Black Britain. Through Shakie, Stumpie, and their circle, the play explores entrepreneurship, music, and identity amid societal prejudice, while mourning overlooked lives. Bristling with energy and historical resonance, it reflects on race, misogyny, and ambition, offering both incisive social commentary and dramatic tension.

Publication: Fagon, A. (2021 2021). The Death of a Black Man. In The Death of a Black Man (pp. iv–69). London: Methuen Drama.
Title: The Overseas Student

Author: Tanika Gupta

Year: 2021

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: The Overseas Student by Gupta follows an 18-year-old Gandhi in 1888 London as he navigates life far from home, exploring money, food, women, and the challenges of class and imperialism. Part of the Out West collection, the play offers a sharp, insightful look at youth, identity, and the formative experiences of a future historical figure.

Publication: Gupta, T. (2021 2021). The Overseas Student. In Out West (pp. 2–21). London: Methuen Drama.
Title: Oedipus El Rey

Author: Luis Alfaro

Year: 2021

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Based on Sophocles’ Oedipus, Alfaro’s Oedipus El Rey transplants ancient themes and problems into the 21st century streets of Los Angeles, in order to give voice to the concerns of the Chicanx and wider Latinx communities.

Publication: Alfaro, L. (2021 2021). Oedipus El Rey. In The Greek Trilogy of Luis Alfaro (pp. 115–179). London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
Title: Human Nurture

Author: Ryan Calais Cameron

Year: 2022

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: Human Nurture by Ryan Calais Cameron explores the complex friendship of Harry, a white British man, and Runaku (formerly Roger), a Black British man, who grew up together in care. When Runaku returns on Harry’s 18th birthday, past bonds collide with issues of race, privilege, and identity. Raw, urgent, and confronting, the play examines allyship, systemic inequality, and the personal impact of racism in contemporary Britain.

Publication: Cameron, R. (2022 2023). Human Nurture. In Human Nurture (pp. 2–40). London: Methuen Drama.
Title: My Name Is …

Author: Sudha Bhuchar

Year: 2014

Geography: Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom

Synopsis: My Name is … by Sudha Bhuchar is a moving verbatim play about Gaby, a young woman who disappears from her Scottish home. Assumed kidnapped by her Pakistani father, she instead embraces a new life in Pakistan, declaring, “My name is Ghazala.” The play sensitively explores cross-cultural identity, family conflict, and a love story rooted in 1970s Glasgow, beyond media sensationalism.

Publication: Bhuchar, S. (2014). My Name is …. In My Name is … (pp. –42). London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.