Leeds Playhouse – Tuesday 15 October 2019
Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood
4****
My Beautiful Laundrette, based on Hanif Kureishi’s screenplay (released in 1985) comes to the Leeds Playhouse – a co-production with four other producing partner theatres. It is the third production to be hosted in the newly refurbished Courtyard Theatre and this adaptation is set to The Pet Shop Boys’ songs.
The story is set at the height of the 1980s (during the Thatcher austere years) and the clashes of cultures and social differences between the English, particularly the street punk subculture, and the Pakistani communities. Omar (Omar Malik) is introduced – he is the caregiver of his father (Gordon Warnecke – starred as Omar in the original screen play) who has turned to alcoholism following dissolution and tragedy. Omar has the opportunity to work for his uncle, Nasser (Kammy Darweish), which includes taking care of a rundown laundrette. After defusing a fight with taunts from the street punks, Omar meets Johnny (Jonny Fines) as he recognises him from school. He offers him the opportunity to work with him to fix up the laundrette. From then on their friendship grows and they eventually fall in love with each other.
The relationship between Omar and Johnny continues to blossom amid challenges including family and social issues within the family, Johnny’s former associates, and the Pakistani Community which are revealed. In addition there is the clash between both communities and how prejudices have alienated and bounded them. It isn’t any different today with communities having been alienated and marginalised from main stream society which sadly breeds ignorance and ultimately prejudices.
Under the direction of Nikolai Foster, My Beautiful Laundrette, with Grace Smart’s 1980s eye-catching contemporary staging, projects the complexities of two very different cultures. This story however the brings hope, brings love and how love can humanise and bring communities together. In the case of Johnny and Omar their love has no boundaries as linked in the song of the same name from The Pet Shop Boys (No Boundaries)