Karim Khan’s Brown Boys Swim announces UK tour and new London run

Karim Khan’s Brown Boys Swim has announced a UK tour and London.

Winner of the prestigious Popcorn Award and The Scotsman’s Fringe First Award at 2022’s Edinburgh Fringe, the production will visit venues across the UK this autumn.

The tour opens at The North Wall in Oxford (21 – 23 September) before visiting Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre (26 – 30 September), Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre (9 – 10 October), Corn Exchange Newbury (17 – 18 October), Manchester’s Contact Theatre (25 – 28 October) and Birmingham Rep (31 October – 4 November).

The show will also run at London’s Soho Theatre from 3 – 7 October.

Taking on the roles of the boisterous and self-opinionated best friends Mohsen and Kash are Kashif Ghole and Ibraheem Hussain.

Boisterous and self-opinionated best friends Mohsen (Anish Roy) and Kash (Varun Raj) are preparing for their post-school future, but first they need to nab an invitation to the biggest social event of term – Jess Denver’s pool party.

Fuelled by halal Haribo, university-minded Mohsen and girl-crazy Kash won’t let the fact they can’t swim stand in their way, and embark on a race to teach themselves how to be at one with the water. But learning how to swim is more than a quick jump in the deep end – Mohsen and Kash must tackle expectations, prejudice and public changing rooms.

Considering how systemic racism and societal pressures can push people along a relentless current, Brown Boys Swim examines how we can be prevented from being and understanding our most authentic selves. This funny and moving play takes a deep dive into communities who are consciously and unconsciously forbidden from spaces like pools – where microaggressions are a sign of something more insidious.

Writer Karim Khan said: “I can’t wait for us to bring Brown Boys Swim to more audiences, across the breadth of the country. The piece holds a very special place in my heart, and I’m absolutely thrilled that we get to relive it all over again with even more people.”

The award-winning, sell out success is directed by John Hoggarth and produced by Fringe First award-winning The North Wall. The production has set and costume design by James Button, composition and sound design by Roshan Gunga, movement direction by Sita Thomas and lighting design by James Bailey. Casting is by Naomi Downham.

For more information and tickets, visit thenorthwall.com or sohotheatre.com