East Is East @ Manchester Opera House

In 1996 Ayub Khan-Din’s East Is East first appeared on stage. Loosely based on the writer’s own experiences, the play depicts the day-to-day life of a Pakistani household in 1970s Salford. The family is comprised of George ‘Genghis’ Khan, an antagonistic patriarch and Pakistani immigrant, along with his British wife, Ella, and their multiple children. Now set to appear at the Manchester Opera House, Khan-Din’s play will prove its enduring relevance, exploring themes of ethnic identity, cultural alienation and power dynamics in an honest, warts-and-all portrayal of the experience of first- and second-generation Asian immigrants in mainstream British society.

The generational rift between George and his children is as much a palpable source of tension as the play’s exploration of racial divides. While George is a strict Muslim who wishes to enforce the traditional religious values instilled by his Pakistani upbringing, his children identify more with British culture and often come into conflict with their father’s hard-line approach. Khan-Din isn’t entirely merciless in portraying what might be considered the literary embodiment of his own father. George’s sense of disassociation can evoke pathos: despite his longing to remain true to his roots, he has found himself the owner of a fish and chip shop with a British wife and kids who lack respect for his authority. It is particularly poignant that it is Khan-Din himself who is playing the role of George – perhaps an acknowledgement of the writer’s ability to better understand his father (if not agree with his views) as he himself has grown in age and maturity.

British society has come a long way since Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech and the depiction of casual racism within the script might feel like an alien concept to modern audiences. However, with the growing popularity of far-right political parties and the topic of immigration still at the forefront of debates, Khan-Din’s play retains a resonance that highlights an ongoing battle.