Shahid Iqbal Khan: ‘Faith is at heart of 10 Nights, but play has universal appeal’

OLIVIER-AWARD nominated play 10 Nights only came into fruition after writer Shahid Iqbal Khan overcame his own “assumptions and judgments” over whether a story set in a mosque would appeal to a non-Muslim audience.

10 Nights is a poignant and humorous exploration of faith, love, and personal discovery. It follows Yasser (Adeel Ali), who embarks on a spiritual journey as he takes on the challenge of completing I’tikaf – 10 consecutive days of prayer and fasting in a mosque during Ramadan.

Through moments of quiet reflection, comical struggles, and heartfelt introspection, Yasser’s journey challenges him to confront his fears and insecurities while forging a deeper understanding of himself and his faith.

“I had assumed people wouldn’t be interested in what’s happening in the mosque,” Khan told Eastern Eye.

“I had to unlearn some of my own bias and tell myself, ‘don’t be scared, just take us into the masjid and show people what’s happening. It’s fine if they don’t get all of it and don’t understand what’s happening. It’s basically about the character journey and you need to stick to the truth of that and write fearlessly’.”

Khan wrote the initial draft of the play when he was on playwriting programme at the Graeae Theatre Company in London. He shared a 10-minute monologue on Yasser’s journey during I’tikaf at a writer’s presentation evening at the Soho Theatre.

He was the only person of colour and possibly the only Muslim at the event, and admitted he was surprised by the reaction of the audience.

“I was surprised that the audience responded warmly to Yasser, even though he was using certain Islamic terms like Inshallah, Kun Faya Kun, Alhamdulillah – that didn’t seem to bother the mainly white audience. They just responded to the character and identified with what he was feeling, even though they shared nothing culturally.

“It made me reconsider and realise there’s probably a universality to this story. Perhaps it was my own thinking that held me back. I thought this play might not find much of an audience, but today, I’ve been proven wrong.”

Yasser spends the last 10 nights of Ramadan praying, eating and sleeping in the mosque. He is by no means a devout Muslim when he enters the mosque and struggles with the confidence to perform some of the rituals, but hopes he can learn and in turn that can help with the grief and guilt he feels over the death of his close friend, Aftab.

The play challenges multiple stigmas within Muslim communities around substance abuse, worship and relationships.

“I think they (the audience at Soho Theatre) were responding to his feeling of being an imposter and uncertain about what to do in that environment. Many people can relate to that, whether it’s within any religion or a non-faith-based setting, like in a job, where moments of self-doubt are universal.”

Adeel Ali as Yasser in 10 Nights

“The audience can relate to Yasser on that level, as everyone has likely experienced a phase in life where they felt they didn’t belong.” Khan believes that 10 Nights presents a portrayal of Muslims that is rarely seen in mainstream media.

“It’s quite rare to see Muslim man or a man of colour, even to be humanised and seen as complex human beings – we’re not used to seeing that, even in this day and age,” he said.

Khan is from a British Pakistani background and said he was baffled at how this group of men have been “dehumanised” by the actions of a few.

“We still see headlines calling for investigations focused solely on British Pakistani men and grooming gangs,” he said. “On the one hand, you have the dehumanisation of these men in the media, (and on the other hand) it’s really cathartic for the audience to come to the theatre and see this play and acknowledge that they are human beings.

“There are Urdu phases and Arabic phrases, but it doesn’t pander to the white gaze. Instead, it’s the white viewer who must make an effort to understand, and I think many find that empowering.”

Khan hopes that plays like 10 Nights can bring in more Muslims to the theatre.

“A lot of the Muslim population, the reason they go don’t go to theatre, because they feel a bit estranged, a bit isolated, and they feel like there won’t be anything in it that they could identify with,” he said.

“It’s important to have those characters on stage, which in turn benefits theatres by reducing the struggle to engage with Muslim audiences.”

“The theatre is a space for debate and hearing all perspectives. Without the input of British Muslim characters, it falls short. Including voices from all parts of the community is essential for creating meaningful theatre.”

Originally co-produced by Graeae and Tamasha, in association with the Bush Theatre in 2021, 10 Nights has just embarked on its second national tour produced by Phizzical Productions, with shows in Derby, Hammersmith, Manchester and Birmingham.

“The extent of recognition did surprise me, and I’m still surprised today that it is being produced for the third time and there are people who reached out and said to me that they’re going to watch it for the third time,” said Khan.

“At some point you’ve got to let it go and say, ‘this is beyond me, this is the people’s play. I have ownership as an author, but it belongs to the audiences.’” (See interview with Adeel Ali, page 22)