Katy Galloway Productions & maatin, announce the cast for the UK première of Duck by maatin, at Arcola Theatre. Imy Wyatt Corner, associate artist at Arcola Theatre, directs Omar Bynon as Ismail. The production opens on 29 June, with previews from 27 June, and runs until 15 July.
This one-man show is about a British Indian schoolboy attempting to reach dizzying heights of cricketing glory, whilst having to contend with the challenges of adolescence, the pressures of sporting competition, and come to terms with his identity in an environment that doesn’t cater for difference.
On Friday 30 June and Saturday 1 July, playwright and producer maatin is hosting three performances designed for those who are usually underrepresented in theatre – both on the stage and in the audience – to feel welcomed, celebrated, and comfortable. Inspired by the BLACK OUT performances curated and championed by playwright Jeremy O. Harris, and entitled A Space For Us, these performances are particularly open to those who identify as Desi, Brown, or Muslim, but are an invitation to all who are a minority in white spaces.
Crucially, no one is excluded from attending them. Instead, the hope is to fill each performance with as many people as possible who identify with the character and the themes of the play.
The 15:30 performance on Saturday 1 July will be followed by an event with figures from the world of sport and academia in discussion with the playwright on south Asian representation and discrimination in sports and beyond, including broadcaster Miriam Walker-Khan, policy researcher Alba Kapoor, and author & academic Duncan Stone.
Playwright and producer maatin said: “This role was written to give a south Asian performer a stage all to themselves, bringing audiences into the seldom-seen perspective of a British Indian, Muslim teenager boy, while playing a wide variety of characters. Omar Bynon is an exceptionally talented performer who has the charisma and skills to bring Ismail’s world to life on stage. Additionally, it’s an fact that those of us from minoritised identities rarely make up large numbers in theatre spaces, particularly those who identify as non-white. It is my biggest goal to try and change that. To purposefully invite communities that have been excluded – whether deliberately or otherwise – into the theatre should be seen as a positive act that I hope will be celebrated.
