BLUE MIST Will Embark on UK Tour
This tells the story about South Asian Muslim men navigating a system that isn't built for them.
Interrogating the media agenda around young Muslim men, the Olivier Award-nominated Blue Mist will embark on a national tour this summer. A story about South Asian Muslim men navigating a system that isn't built for them, the push-and-pull of diaspora identity and the exhausting pressure of being politicised, Mohamed-Zain Dada’s (SPEED, Bush Theatre) script follows an aspiring journalist struggling to balance his ambition with his values whilst catering to the media industry’s agenda. Chunkyz Shisha Lounge is home away from home for Jihad, Rashid and Asif, a space where community whispers are heard, jokes are shared, and new hustles are born. When Jihad wins the chance to make his own documentary, he sets out to give voice to his community and challenge the usual stereotypes that fill the airwaves. But in a media landscape that profits off fear, how far can one voice really go?
Blue Mist previously played at Royal Court Upstairs in 2023 where it was nominated for the Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre award at the 2024 Olivier Awards and won the Asian Media Award for Best Stage Production. It was a second Olivier Award nomination for director Milli Bhatia following seven methods of killing Kylie Jenner. Alongside the tour, Boundless Theatre is working in partnership with the venues to recruit and train six young people as Community Producers. They will conceive and develop free creative events in their local area, inspired by Blue Mist, such as workshops, open mic nights and art fairs, with a focus on South Asian/Muslim arts and audiences.
Playwright Mohamed-Zain Dada said, “Blue Mist is a story about young Muslim men carving out joy and identity. It’s about the spaces that hold us together and the laughter that comes from everyday moments in our communities. From the dramas at Jummah, to fillet-o-fish, to the absurdities of gym culture. But it’s also about how the media willfully misrepresents us, distorts our humanity and makes us out to be monsters. Blue Mist questions how we might confront these narratives and the people in power who perpetuate them.”
Boundless Theatre makes space for young people to create, connect, and lead. Rooted in Croydon, they support young creatives across the UK, working with 15–25-year-olds, co-creating projects that put young voices in charge, whether it’s taking part or leading the way, they back young people to shape the future of the arts and beyond. Their flagship programme, Accelerator, provides opportunity, space and time for early-career young creatives to begin making new work, and previously supported the early-stage development of For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy and Eat the Rich (but maybe not me mates X). Boundless’ other annual programmes include the Boundless Drama Club, which provides access to creative resources, masterclasses, show trips and mentoring, and helps members connect to other early career peers, as well as The Box, a pop-up space for art, performance and creativity which has previously taken up residence in Croydon, Lambeth, Scarborough, Crystal Palace and Leicester.
Tamasha is an artist-centred engine room for bold, globally resonant storytelling. Rooted in the lived experiences of Global Majority artists, the company champions trailblazers, placing craft, collaboration and cultural authorship at the heart of everything it produces. Tamasha builds work from the ground up - investing in artists long-term and matching visionary storytelling with ambitious, high-quality work. Across its history, Tamasha has produced an extraordinary body of work that foregrounds complex, unapologetic perspectives - from East is East by Ayub Khan Din and Blood by Emteaz Hussain, to Approaching Empty by Ishy Din and Does My Bomb Look Big In This? by Nyla Levy. The company has championed contemporary voices like Zia Ahmed (I Wanna Be Yours), Shahid Iqbal Khan (10 Nights), Shaan Sahota (Under the Mask) and Satinder Chohan (Made in India, Lotus Beauty), alongside expansive reimagining and ensemble storytelling in Hakawatis: Women of the Arabian Nights by Hannah Khalil, STARS by Mojisola Adebayo, Great Expectations by Tanika Gupta and Wolves on Road by Beru Tessema.
Tour Dates
17–20 June — Leeds Playhouse
Playhouse Square, Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7UP
7:45pm | £16.50–£47.50
https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk | 0113 213 7700
30 June–3 July — Key Theatre, Peterborough
Embankment Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 1EF
7:30pm | £24
https://www.keytheatre-peterborough.com | 01733 207 239
10–14 July — Theatre Royal Stratford East
Gerry Raffles Square, Theatre Square, London E15 1BN
2:30pm & 7:30pm
https://www.stratfordeast.com | 020 8534 0310
22–25 July — Birmingham Rep
Broad Street, Birmingham B1 2EP
7:45pm; Thu & Sat 2:45pm | £19.50–£25.00
https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk | 0121 236 4455
28–30 July — Curve Theatre, Leicester
Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB
7:45pm | £10–£25.50
https://www.curveonline.co.uk | 0116 242 3595
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