Community

Patrick Lay at The Rep Theatre, Birmingham (The Door) - Tuesday 4^th February 2025

My wife and I had the pleasure of watching this modern comedy which was set right here in the second city.  Written by Farrah Chaudhry, who hails from Birmingham, the story stems from a chance encounter at a bus stop in a Birmingham district with old two college acquaintances who couldn't be more chalk and cheese if they tried.

Zoya is born with a silver spoon in her mouth, with an entitled outlook on life and having little or no context of grafting for a living.  Leyla in sharp contrast is kind hearted and moves heaven and earth to run a community centre, often at the expense of putting herself first.  This is made all the more poignant as Leyla lost both her parents as a teenager, and vowed to continue their hardworking legacy at the community centre.  Zoya claims that she is on a rustic adventure away from her privileged family home, but as it transpires, this is because her parents have thrown her out.

Leyla shares her modest abode with her male friend Khalil, who she also works with at the community centre safe-space.  Khalil is a loveable character who has fled war-torn Syria and is appreciative of the smallest of mercies in life.  Zoya continues to infuriate Leyla with her extravagant spending and taking advantage of her accommodating nature.  Despite Zoya's outlook being at odds with Khalil's, they form a strong bond as she helps to improve his confidence in his poetry writing.  This enables him to deliver a gripping and moving performance about the devastating life he has left behind in Syria.

Just when things look to be untenable with Zoya and Leyla's living and working arrangement, Zoya slowly but surely discovers her humble side, whilst Leyla eventually acknowledges the need to treat herself once in a while as the story reaches a happy conclusion.

The production runs for 90 minutes without an interval and is so engaging with all three characters in the story being played superbly.  I would thoroughly recommend this comedy which is on at The Rep Theatre until Saturday 8th February.  It will then complete a two-week tour of community venues around the West Midlands. On a separate note, it is admirable that this production is part of a trial called The Theatre Green Book, which is an initiative to work more sustainably by using less resources and energy, and recycling where possible.