Peanut Butter & Blueberries
This new play from Suhaiyman Manzoor-Khan is making its world premiere at The Kiln Theatre, it’s a love story but not as we may expect it to be. Based in faith, this story follows two university students who are finding their place in the world while also dealing with societal pressures and prejudice.
Bilal (Usaamah Ibraheem Hussain) and Hafsah (Humera Syed) meet at a seminar at their university and while there is not an instant attraction on both sides, things begin to grow between them. We watch their relationship build over the course of a year, we see their highs, their lows and their intimate moments. Intimacy takes a different form here than we see in a usual rom-com – due to their Muslim faith, they never touch. Instead there are looks over shoulders, shared experiences and deep insightful discussions.
Faith is not the main point of this play, but it is a very important context within it. Suhaiymah in their writing has a very warm and strong feeling to their words. They have focused on the characters and made them fully dimensional. In a time where it is not easy to be someone of Muslim faith, this piece feels even more relevant. The title of the play comes from a sandwich Bilal shares with Hafsah on a park bench – filled with peanut butter and blueberries, it feels like the perfect physical representation of their story; crunchy and smooth, sweet and salty.
Humera Syed is wonderful as Hafsah, a studious woman whose interests include gender studies and sci-fi. She is working on a novella while studying and while she tries to pretend she has no interest in Bilal, his charms soon win her over and she begins to think of a life with him. Humera brings a true strength to this role, able to give vulnerability and intensity while also keeping the humour of the piece alive.
Usaamah Ibraheem Hussain shines in the role of Bilal, a troubled man from Birmingham who on the surface is a happy-go-lucky guy but when we delve down deeper, he has struggles and difficulties that Hafsah will never truly understand. Usaamah has a wonderful talent of drawing us into his world, playing the role with a clear understanding of what the character is going through.
The design from Khadija Raza is simple and yet beautiful. The use of simple props allows the actors to shine in this piece. It shows you don’t need huge set pieces to bring a world to life and that feels so important here.
This is a lovely story, it’s different to what we would usually see in the rom-com genre and yet also feels familiar. It takes on big topics such as Islamophobia, gender constructs and privilege. Some of it feels a little clumsy, but overall the message comes across clearly. An enjoyable, heart warming play which will make you look at things in the world a little differently.
This show was reviewed on the 15th August 2024 at the Kiln Theatre, London where it runs until the 31st August 2024. Tickets available here: PEANUT BUTTER & BLUEBERRIES | Kiln Theatre
Review written by Rosie Browne
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Photo credit: Oluwatosin Daniju
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