Debut Play By Hadsan Mohamud Comes To Bristol

The play is at The Weston Studio of Bristol Old Vic this week

Hadsan Mohamud’s British-Somali rom-com is going out on a UK tour from this September with The Weston Studio of Bristol Old Vic its very first stop.

Crush explores themes of connection and the ‘messiness of healing’. It went down a storm with audiences at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

The play explores mental health within Black and Muslim communities. Hadsan says it’s inspired by their own lived experience of having an eating disorder. The storyline is described as ‘honest’ as well as ‘light-hearted’.

“Crush is a tender, funny love story that follows two young people navigating connection while dealing with their own inner struggles,” writer and performer Hadsan Mohamud says.

“I wanted to create something that feels honest but still full of warmth, where audiences can laugh, recognise themselves, and feel less alone. Bringing it to the fringe is about sharing that experience on a bigger stage and connecting with audiences who might not usually see themselves reflected in this way.”

Two Somali teens meet in the waiting room of a clinic. Najma has been in treatment for years. Zakariya’s just starting out. She sketches and he writes poems. Neither of them is ready to talk until they meet each other. As their sessions continue, so do the chats, the jokes and the secrets.

Crush marks Hadsan’s debut play. Her writing has been supported by Kiln Theatre, Soho Writers Lab and the London Library’s Emerging Writers Programme.

The play has been supported by Kayd Somali Arts, a London-based organisation that celebrates and elevates Somali arts, culture and heritage.

Somali-British actor Mohamed Hashi, plays the role of Zakariya. With a background working in film and on stage, he is currently a member of the National Youth Theatre and Bush Young Company until 2027

For more information or to book, visit: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/crush

Cast and Creatives
Najma- Hadsan Mohamud
Zakariya – Mohamed Hashi

Writer – Hadsan Mohamud
Director – Alena Sahota
General Manager – SH Productions
Designer – Damien Stanton
Lighting Designer – Callum Macdonald
Sound Designer – Kayode Gomez
Production Management – resent Production Management

Photography: Zoë Birkbeck Photography

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