We round up the reviews for Mohamed-Zain Dada’s debut play, playing at the theatre until the 18th November.
WhatsOnStage: *** “However, Milli Bhatia serves up a stylish production that is laced with visceral choreography from movement director Theophilus O Bailey. There is also some neat and surprising use of music; at one point we get a rendition of “Just a spoonful of Muslim makes the news go down”, complete with peppy dance moves. It opens with the impressively tight ensemble emerging from Tomás Palmer’s modish sunken booth set with balletic grace.”
Evening Standard: *** “Dada has a real feel for character and atmosphere, though, and his debut is shot through with vibrancy. It’ll be fascinating to see what he does with a sterner script editor and director.”
Time Out: *** “It’s all part of Dada’s attempt to pitch back against hostile media narratives of Muslim men and communities, but for all the fantastical scenes and the teaching moments, Dada does it most effectively in a subtler way: by creating three loveable, loving friends, who happen to be South Asian Muslims, and letting us spend time in their company.”
The Guardian: **** “Excitingly directed by Milli Bhatia, it blends dream, hallucination and reality, and showcases an ambitious new playwright in Mohamed-Zain Dada. It shows, vividly, how writers of colour are asked to report on the same old issues and to follow an editorial line that rehashes reductive stereotypes.”
The Stage: *** “Thoughtful comedy that challenges stereotypical depictions of young South Asian men.”
The Arts Desk: “The three-man cast — Salman Akhtar (Asif), Omar Bynon (Jihad) and Arian Nik (Rashid) — are superb talkers and movers, and have a great onstage rapport. While Jihad’s ambition to “rewrite the narrative” by using his mates as “stepping stones” is tragic, this play does signal the arrival of a thrilling new voice on London’s new writing scene.”
West End Evenings: **** “The chemistry between the three actors is remarkable. Their authentic camaraderie feels so real that it blurs the line between fiction and reality. At times, it almost seemed as if these three friends were improvising and creating the play on the spot, drawing the audience into their world.”
The Reviews Hub: ***** “Throughout Milli Bhatia’s direction is inspired, not least in fantastic staging of ‘A spoonful of Muslim helps the news go down’ which brings the first act to a close on a raucous high.”
London Theatre1: **** “At curtain call, it became evident that the three actors get on very well, and throughout the performance, they appeared to bounce off one another’s energy. The total felt more than the sum of the parts in this dreamy and discerning production.”
Broadway World: **** “Blue Mist is an urgent, vital project. It describes the social context of spaces dedicated to specific communities and their importance, correlating them with their representation in mainstream white media and their agenda. It’s funny, sarcastic, satirical, thought-provoking, informative, original. It has it all – except for a truly great ending.”
British Theatre Guide: “The elitist nature of the UK media along with Britain’s habit of invading Muslim countries in part explains the general negative depiction of Muslims, but as Mohamed-Zain Dada’s thoughtful and entertaining play illustrates, simply improving diversity in journalism will not be enough to change the often cruel and dysfunctional media representation of Muslims.”
To book tickets visit: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/blue-mist/