“Could anyone in their right mind call this silly little island off of Europe their home?”
Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe of iconic British pop duo Pet Shop Boys join the production team for upcoming stage adaptation of Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Laundrette, creating music to bring the 80s-set drama to life.
A Curve, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and Leeds Playhouse co-production, Tennant/Lowe have composed original music for the play.
Since their first record release in 1984, Pet Shop Boys have sold over 50 million records worldwide. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are also known for their theatre music, including original stage musical Closer to Heaven (being revived in London this summer) and the ballet The Most Incredible Thing, a collaboration with choreographer Javier de Frutos produced by Sadler’s Wells. This summer at the Edinburgh Fringe, Pet Shop Boys will present the world premiere of MUSIK, a new cabaret show with a script by Jonathan Harvey.
Curve, Leicester 20 Sep – 5 Oct
Everyman Theatre Cheltenham 8 – 12 Oct
Leeds Playhouse 15 – 26 Oct
Belgrade Theatre Coventry 29 Oct – 2 Nov
Birmingham Repertory Theatre 5 – 9 Nov
Set in London during the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette tells the story of young British Pakistani, Omar, who transforms his Uncle’s run-down launderette into a thriving business. After being confronted by a fascist gang, Omar recognises school-friend Johnny and uses their history to diffuse the situation. As they renovate the laundrette together, love blossoms between them. This culture clash comedy is also a subversive work of social realism, sprinkled with magic and joy running through the rich veins of Kureishi’s writing.
Playing the role of Omar in this new play is Omar Malik (East is East, Nottingham Playhouse); Jonny Fines (An Officer and a Gentleman at Curve) will play rebellious punk Johnny. Gordon Warnecke, who originally played Omar in Stephen Frears’ 1985 film, joins this new cast as Papa, Omar’s Father. The cast is completed by Paddy Daly, Kammy Darweish, Hareet Deol, Nicole Jebeli, Balvinder Sopal and Cathy Tyson.
Photo: Ellie Kurttz
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