When I heard that the legendary Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan had written a play, I knew I had to go and see it. I love Suhaiymah’s poetry and have been an avid fan and reader for a while.
Peanut Butter and Blueberries didn’t disappoint – it was brilliant in every way and it was the first time I had felt utterly at home at the theatre. The bar was dry (YAY!), there was a prayer space to pray Maghrib in after, and as we took our seats, we were greeted by nasheeds from Pearls of Islam and Lowkey’s Palestine playing in the background.
The play itself opened with Suhaiymah reciting a dua and then we met Hasfa and Bilal – two Pakistani students at SOAS who initially clash but as time goes on, they begin to win over each other’s hearts and minds.
Peanut Butter and Blueberries isn’t just a love story – there were strong themes of race, class, Islamophobia, family, injustice and so on. It sort of reminded me of my own books in the way that it was unapologetically Muslim, and I’ve honestly never felt so seen in a play before!
I’m so grateful to @thebrownhijabi and the crew for creating this wonderful experience. I can’t explain how validated I felt!!!
There’s only a week left to see this – so run, don’t walk!! More info and tickets here: https://kilntheatre.com/