Search

Saved articles

You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!

Browse articles

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

The Real Ones

 
Laura Tucker Review by Laura Tucker 4 Published: 17 Sep 2024 Bush Theatre Show Dates: 6 Sep 2024-19 Oct 2024

A meaty feast of new theatre from playwright Waleed Akhtar, The Real Ones is a fast-moving and impassioned exploration of platonic love, tackling themes of identity and sexuality that Akhtar previously nailed in his Olivier-award-winning play The P Word.

Bring a friend - and perhaps a tissue or two - for this intimate exploration of platonic love

Spanning over a decade in the lives of best friends and wannabe playwrights Zaid and Neelam, The Real Ones tracks the pair’s unique experiences of love and loss from their student days to their mid-thirties. A story of British-Pakistani identity, homosexual awakening and motherhood, The Real Ones is far-reaching in its goal, grounded by the curative theme of friendship.

With a runtime of two hours and no intermission, The Real Ones is not worried about throwing audiences in the deep end. Luckily, the swift current of the story carries us through easily, buoyed throughout by star performances from Nathaniel Curtis (It’s A Sin) as Zaid and Mariam Haque (Black Mirror) as Neelam, supported by Anthony Howell and Nnabiko Ejimofor as the duo’s love interests.

With minimal staging and costume changes, the focus remains on the stars throughout as they effortlessly elevate Akhtar’s whip-sharp dialogue with maturity, understanding and good comic timing.

Bring a friend, and possibly a tissue or two, for this intimate exploration of two lives intertwined.

Related to this article:

Location:

Performances

The Blurb:

Best friends Zaid and Neelam shared a dream: get away, make it as playwrights, build a future where they’re free to be themselves. Together, always.

Years later, things are far from what they expected. Zaid’s life has kinda stalled – half out the closet, living at home and still chasing the dream. While Neelam’s has taken a completely different path, as she chooses to prioritise her own happiness.