⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Unmissable! An exceptional, joyously buzzing piece of immersive gig theatre that sensitively articulates complex themes and deep social issues.”
Everything Theatre

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Both Mantri and Rajan Mal are a hugely enjoyable watch, performing with great charisma and confidence as they deliver complex dialogue in impeccable, rhythmic spoken word verse: it’s visceral. They conjure the buzzing club vibe with fabulous panache, genial comedy and some top dance moves that have the spectators laughing loudly.”
Everything Theatre

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “It’s an exceptional piece of writing from Azan Ahmed. It combines humour, complex discussions and familiar life experiences with historical reference and crucial themes still important today.”
Everything Theatre

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “It’s a remarkably balanced achievement to dig so deep into painful, traumatic subjects, but still have the audience leave brimming with good feeling and energy.”
Everything Theatre

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “I left the theatre grinning, exhilarated by superb performances, intricate and vibrant writing, and energised by the buoyant, pulsating beat. But I was also delighted at the sight of so many joyful teenagers who had just quietly been educated about a little bit of brown-skinned rebellion. Tell me again how theatre for children is the easy stuff…”
Everything Theatre

“Another fantastic touring production for young audiences from Half Moon Theatre which is well worth a watch if it heads near you.”
The Family Stage

“A joy to watch…. This is a fantastic piece of writing from Azan Ahmed, blending moments of comedy with complex issues and the realities of vulnerable youth.”
The Place Backstage

“Chris Elwell’s direction is seamless, making the most of every single moment in a whirling vortex of movement that builds in velocity to an exciting crescendo of emotion.”
The Place Backstage

“Looking around me, I loved seeing such a lot of young people enjoying the theatre, and perhaps pondering that their parents were once pretty cool too!”
The Place Backstage

Interview with Azan Ahmed

Tell us more about Daytime Deewane. What is the show about?

The show is an immersive gig theatre experience set in the 90s at London’s last ever daytime rave. The play follows two cousins, Sadiq and Farhan, as they navigate what it means to be British, what  it means to be Muslim,  what it means to be a young man all in the space of a daytime rave.

 

What were daytime raves?

Daytime raves where cultural phenomenon in the 80s and 90s for British Asians where they used to take over the dance floors of nightclubs, but in the afternoon.

These parties took place at daytime for two reasons: The first being a lot of the South Asians who wanted to party weren’t allowed out at night because their parents were strict, so they used to bunk off school and go to these venues from midday to 5pm; and the other reason was club owners like Hippodrome, Wag, they wouldn’t allow a lot of Asians in on Friday or Saturday nights, so the people who had this desire to express themselves through music and dance weren’t going  to wait for anyone to accept them at the doors anymore they carved their own venue of expression.

 

What was the inspiration for the story?

This story came about because I wanted to explore joy in my writing what radical joy looked like through a British Asian lens and perspective and I kept coming back to stories that my dad

and his friends would tell me about this era. This era in the 90s and 80s where British Asians carved out what it meant to be British and Asian.

The daytime raves were a space for pure Brown joy and I wanted to sort of document that through theatre.

 

How would you like audiences to feel?

I want audiences to be exhilarated during the show and in awe of these actors, but really in awe of these people of the era. If it weren’t for people like Farhan and Sadiq we wouldn’t know what it means to be British Asian today. I think this play shows that Brown people can shimmy, stomp and slide into genres that they defined.

After the show I would like the young people, teenagers specifically, to realize that their parents might have been cool back in the day and to ask them what parties they went to.

 

Tell us more about the music in the show

The music is so integral to the piece. I devoured lots of like interviews and articles from people like Bobby Friction and the original daytimers crew from 20-30 years ago. It was a very distinct sound, which the people of that era were making and figuring out as they went along. It’s this Bhangra style fused with UK Jungle and Garage, so it’s so important to get that right. Myself and Somin, the Sound Designer, actually had a collaborative playlist which we kept updating as I went through the writing process. Some of the scenes you’ll see I had specific tracks in mind which blends into some of the more poetic parts of the piece.

 

What are you excited about most about rehearsals starting?

I’m most excited to see some of the dancing happen. This place screams radical Brown joy and I can’t wait to see these two young men take up space in every way possible.

 

Can you tell us anything more about the immersive style?

I think this piece really lends itself to an immersive style because we want to make the audience feel like they’re at a piece of history that wasn’t really documented.

With the immersive space you really get a sense of what these young men are going through – the masks they put out and how they present to the world – but also you’re so close to them that you can hear their internal intimate thoughts and their vulnerability.

 

What can audiences look forward to?

This is going to be the best night out you’ve ever had in a theatre. You’re going to be dancing through an exhilarating pumping soundtrack; you’re going to be listening to a story that could be your uncle, your dad, or your auntie; and you’re going to learn more about what it means to be British Asian.

 

Describe the show in three words.

Radical Brown joy.

 

Why should people book a ticket to watch Daytime Deewane?

This play is a piece of British history, which is often neglected and not seen. Nevertheless, it’s a story that needs to be felt. You’ll feel it through the speakers, you’ll feel it through the actors, this is the best party you’ll ever have in a theatre.

Thank you

Young people from Bow School, Central Foundation Girls’ School, Mulberry UTC, Amin Ali and Rohan Rakhit (R&D phase); Stephen Russell (production photography); Stephen Beeny (artwork and rehearsal photography); East Central Barbering Co. (Sadiq’s hair); the many friends of Half Moon who donated their old cassette tapes to the production.

In March 2021 Half Moon was awarded an Arts Council grant for Narratives of Empathy and Resilience, a major artform development project. Daytime Deewane began as part of this and we would like to thank the artists involved: Stephen Bailey, Samuel Baker, Jonny Khan, Esther Rennae Walker, Jake Walker and Lori Zakariyya King.