The British Iraqi writer touches on community, challenges and comedy.
If Laith Elzubaidi wants you to know one thing about his show, it’s that “it’s not meant to be homework”. The British Iraqi playwright is new to the theatre scene – yet you wouldn’t be able to tell. His debut play, Insane Asylum Seekers, has opened at the Bush Theatre in Shepherd’s Bush. It has already made history at the theatre, as the first Arab show and the fastest-selling show at the venue's Bush Studio. FACT chatted with the playwright about stories, stereotypes, and social responsibility.
Laith was born and raised in London, and his parents came to the United Kingdom as Iraqi refugees. He started writing around 11 years ago, but always had a passion for it. While working in film and TV, he knew he wanted to write this story, but believed he’d need a bigger reputation (and budget). Since the ideation of putting it on as a play, he never looked back.
Crafting comedy
Insane Asylum Seekers is a comedy drama that follows a British Iraqi family, and the complexities of their refugee experience. He explains: “The show is constructed from lots of things that my family and I have experienced. It’s comprised of something in the region of 40 different stories all put into one – but hopefully you won’t realise that.”
“It creates a narrative that encompasses all these stories to do with refugees, Iraq, myself and all these different aspects. It’s difficult to define it as one genre because we go through about five or six genres throughout the story.”
When most people talk about asylum seekers, it’s unsurprisingly often a serious subject. Laith chose to use humour to tackle the themes instead, matching his unserious personality and friendly demeanour. He reveals: “The stories that inspired the play are inherently funny. It would be doing them a massive disservice to not allow them to be so in that sense. The marker I always try to use is - would a refugee be able to watch this themselves and enjoy it? Or would they just be destroyed by it?”
As our conversation flows, Laith shares an authentic passion for the play. He exclaims, “I want people to know that ultimately they will experience a show that is simultaneously heartwarming and has some big laughs in it.”
And for anyone wondering, Laith confirmed that it’s not one of those shows laced with cringey stereotypes. He laughs: “Our actor is not going to say the word hummus 70 times. There is actual craft here. We’ve assembled the perfect team, and the actor, Tommy Sim’aan, is the absolute best. For anyone to spend an hour and a bit in his company is well worth the ticket price alone.”
Reshaping stereotypes
Arab creatives in the West have long felt a social responsibility to tell our stories in a way that does them justice. Coming from a culturally and historically rich yet turbulent region isn’t without its challenges.
Laith states: “A lot of that pressure is alleviated because I’m constantly surrounded by the best of the best. They’re all people who have been through it before, so it’s a lovely, tight-knit community. We’re always in each other’s corners. I don’t think I would have ever written this play if it wasn’t for them.” The community he’s referencing is his organisation, the British-Arab Writers Group, which started with only 12 writers and now has around 200.
In light of the harmful stereotypes of Arabs in Western media, Laith explains how he hopes the play will challenge these narratives. He says: “There’s a phrase that goes ‘If you don’t have access to clean water, you’ll drink dirty water’. In that same way, if the writers of these stories are not being provided with well-informed narratives about refugees, or are from these regions themselves, they will unconsciously take in all the power and tell it all wrong.”
On the morning of our interview, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK made significant gains in the local council elections. Nigel told staff working on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, “I think you all better really be seeking alternative careers”.
Laith asserts: “In the context of that Britain that we’re in, what I hope is this show won’t just play in London. I hope it tours the UK and is shown in all sorts of places. I know we’re marketing this as about asylum seekers, but it is a very universal show. Ultimately, all of these things, although the specifics and circumstances are not the same, the feelings and motivations are all universal.”
Insane Asylum Seekers is the fastest-selling show at the Bush Studio on record - was he surprised about the success? “It made everything feel real, and made me realise that there’s a huge desire. I hope the ticket sales show how much of a hunger there is for these stories. I’m not fussed about being the first Arab show here, but am much more concerned about not being the last.”
Judging from the success and reception of the show even before opening, you should book your tickets now before it inevitably sells out.
GO: Visit www.bushtheatre.co.uk for more information.