Brown Boys Swim at The North Wall Arts Centre

Best friends Mohsen and Kash are gearing up for the biggest night of their lives – Jess Denver’s pool party. There’s just one problem…they can’t swim.

Fuelled by halal Haribo and chicken wings, the pair throw themselves in at the deep end, tackling cramped cubicles and cold showers as they learn how to be at one with the water.

Fierce, funny, and brimming with heart, Karim Khan examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in this exhilarating new play about fitting in and striking out.

Winner of a Fringe First and the 2022 BBC Popcorn Writing award, Brown Boys Swim returns to Oxford ahead of a national tour, following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and Soho Theatre.

About the Writer

Karim Khan is an alumnus of The North Wall’s ArtsLab programme, having taken part in Catalyst 2019. He is a Creative Associate of The North Wall, a member of the Soho Six 2023/2024, and is a recent recipient of Riz Ahmed’s Left Handed Films and Pillars Fund inaugural fellowship.

Production photos © Geraint Lewis

Cast

To Be Announced

Creative Team

Writer Karim Khan Director John Hoggarth* Set and Costume Designer James Button Composer and Sound Designer Roshan Gunga Movement Director Sita Thomas Lighting Designer James Bailey* Assistant Director Amelia Thornber*

Production Team

Producer Ria Parry* Production Manager James Bailey* Marketing Manager Amy Walters* Associate Producer Amelia Thornber* Press Representative Chloé Nelkin Consulting *on behalf of The North Wall

Original production created with the generous support of Humphrey Battcock