Watching a play about rising racial tension and misplaced anger in South East England on the day of the Clacton by-election feels portentous to the point of cliche. But this play is timely. Inspired by the true story of a vacant pub being transformed into a Mosque (and the reactions to that), the razor-sharp script deftly sidesteps the pitfalls of sensationalism, or reductivism, instead opting to focus on the friendship between Alan and Amir. We meet them as awkward teenagers, and check in with them every year for a decade as their friendship grows then atrophies, ending on an intentionally ambiguous finale. Both actors are remarkable in their roles, matching the script’s quality with integrity and authenticity. 

Underbelly George Square, until 31 Aug. 
tw rating 5/5 | [Andy Leask]