The story about how new play Brown Boys Swim came about is almost as fascinating as the award-winning play itself.
The coming-of-age story was written by Littlemore’s Karim Khan about his experiences of growing up in Oxford as a young British Asian Muslim.
Picked up by The North Wall, who nurture up-and-coming theatrical talent through their Arts Lab programme, the Summertown theatre promised to bring Brown Boys Swim to the stage.
They also took it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival where it was an overnight sensation; selling out, receiving glowing reviews and winning numerous awards including a Fringe First and a BBC Popcorn New Writing Award for Best New Play.
“I have always been naively ambitious and wanted to achieve things beyond my grasp. That’s what kept me going”
And now Brown Boys Swim is coming home to the North Wall for us all to enjoy on Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 September, selling out instantly once again (there are a handful of tickets left for Friday).
What a journey! “It’s been pretty amazing and incredible really,” Karim agrees. “I don’t look back and take stock very often but this is all thanks to the people who had faith in me, especially at the North Wall.
North Wall’s John Hoggarth says he knew they were onto a winner as soon as he read the script: “The show just found its audience and people really loved it,” he says. “There was an element of risk taking it to Edinburgh because of the sheer volume of plays to see up there, but the response was really exciting.”
So how does Karim feel about bringing Brown Boys Swim back to Oxford? “My family haven’t seen it yet. I think that’s why it’s sold out,” he laughs, “because everyone coming is either my extended family or friends.
“so much self doubt comes with writing, as well as imposter syndrome, so the North Wall’s confidence in me gave me a real boost”
“But seeing this on my home turf is really exciting and it will be great to see how Brown Boys Swim resonates with the people I grew up with and how they feel about it, because fundamentally it’s about what it means to be a young muslim in Britain today, based on my own experiences.”
So what can we expect? “It’s a joyous and celebratory coming-of-age story set in Oxford with all the Islamaphobia and systemic racism that comes with that, set around the fact that my community often don’t learn to swim until much later in life,” Karim explains.
Karim went to Peers School, now Oxford Academy, then St Gregory’s for 6th form before studying English at UCL in London. And yet despite Karim’s academic achievements, playwriting is a notoriously difficult industry to get into. Did that ever deter him?
“what validates me as a playwright more than the awards, is making my community feel seen and represented”
“I have always been naively ambitious and wanted to achieve things beyond my grasp. That’s what kept me going. But so much self doubt comes with writing, as well as imposter syndrome, so the North Wall’s confidence in me gave me a real boost. I’m so grateful.”
And what about watching audiences enjoying his work? “The energy that comes from that and the audiences response has been so valuable. That’s what validates me as a playwright more than the awards, making my community feel seen and represented,” the 28 year-old says.
Now in great demand, especially as he is also the recipient of Riz Ahmed and Pillars Fund’s inaugural fellowship, did this play come easily to him then? “It was really enjoyable to write and refine. I just had to make sure a kept a clear vision of what I wanted it to be about and stick to my guns – to really go for it, and the North Wall enabled me to do that.”
“it’s really important to me to write about British Asian Muslim experiences on our own terms”
“But more than anything, it’s really important to me to write about British Asian Muslim experiences on our own terms.
“I want this to encourage other people who look like me, because making up stories made me happy even when I was really young. It was always something I could get lost in.”
Brown Boys Swim is at The North Wall Arts Centre from Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 September. https://thenorthwall.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873635461
