Peaceophobia

Written by
Zia Ahmed with Mohammad Ali Yunis, Casper Ahmed, and Sohail Hussain

Performed by
Mohammad Ali Yunis, Casper Ahmed, and Sohail Hussain

Directed by
Evie Manning, Iram Rehman, Sajidah Shabir, Rosema Nawaz, Mariyah Kayat, Madeyah Khan, and Maleehah Hussain

Dates
26 - 28 Sep 2024

Artist/Company
Common Wealth, Speakers Corner and Bradford Modified Club

If ‘Islam’ comes from ‘peace’, how can you fear peace? 

Peaceophobia is an unapologetic response to rising Islamophobia around the world. Part car-meet, part theatre, the show explores how you find peace in a world that tells you who you are.

Growing up in the shadow of the Bradford Riots, 9/11 and police harassment, cars and faith are a sanctuary, an escape, an expression for three Muslim Pakistani men. Ali, Sohail and Casper are taking control of the narratives around their religion, their city, and their cars.

Staged in a carpark with a Supra, a Golf and a classic Nova, Peaceophobia brings together cars and theatre with cinematic lighting and an original electronic sound score.

Conceived in Bradford and co-directed by young women from Speakers’ Corner Collective and award-winning theatre company Common Wealth, co-written by acclaimed playwright Zia Ahmed and Bradford Modified Club, in co-production with Fuel.

Peaceophobia is supported by Without Walls, Bradford 2025, Co-Creating Change, Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Pears Foundation, and Fenton Arts Trust. The R&D for Peaceophobia was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund.

Performances on Saturday 28th September will be BSL interpreted by Sumayya Si-Tayeb

Please find the digital show programme here.

Co-Created by Common Wealth, Speakers Corner and Bradford Modified Club
Writers Zia Ahmed with Mohammad Ali Yunis, Casper Ahmed, and Sohail Hussain
Directors Evie Manning, Iram Rehman, Sajidah Shabir, Rosema Nawaz, Mariyah Kayat, Madeyah Khan and Meleelah Hussain
Designer Rosie Elnile
Lighting Design Andy Purves
Composition and Sound Design Wojciech Rusin
Videographer & Video Editor Jack King
Associate Designer & Inflatables Creator Rachel Schofield Owen, Soft Tissue Studio
Choreography Support Lloyd Thomas and Himani Bhardwaj
Voice Actors Merch Husey, Liz Simmons, and James Lewis
Production Manager Rachel Bowen
Graphic Designer Robert Scargill
Photography Ian Hodgson

"a rare – and often funny – peek into the psyches of British Muslim men and a shocking reminder of what two decades of Islamophobic media coverage and government policy has delivered"

The Guardian

"not just a show celebrating a passion which brings people together, but a depiction of the tension and scrutiny that passion comes under, when its proponents are forced beneath an oppressive lens"

Exeunt Magazine

"An ambitious, accomplished, immersive production that intersects community, culture and cars ★★★★ "

The Stage

"Asks us to see beyond the noisy engines and throbbing bass from the sound systems to really see the people behind the wheel ★★★★ "

North West End

Peaceophobia

Project History