The Royal Court Theatre and Graeae have announced that Shahid Iqbal Khan will begin a year-long attachment programme in January 2022. As well as a co-commission, this programme will embed Shahid into the work of both organisations and give him a platform to explore, interrogate and experiment.
Commenting on the attachment Khan said “This is a dream come true! I have learnt so much from Graeae and Royal Court in the past few years and I’m really looking forward to building and developing my artistic practice. I can’t wait to spend my 2022 with two such brilliant organisations.”
Shahid Iqbal Khan’s first play was for Carol Godby’s Festival of Plays (Met Theatre, Bury). He joined the Manchester Muslim Writers’ group not long after, a collective that inspired him to explore and compose poetry.
He was Associate Artist for Phizzical Productions and is an alumnu of Graeae Theatre’s prestigious Write To Play programme.
His next play, 10 Nights, will run from 7 October 2021 to 6 November 2021 at the Bush Theatre – a co-production be between Graeae and Tamasha, in association with the Bush Theatre.
His theatre credits include The Smile of Despair (Attenborough Arts Centre), Stardust (Belgrade Theatre), Never Been Away (2020: Collection 1) (Tara Theatre).
Shahid Iqbal Khan is part of BBC Writersroom Writers Access Group (20/21) and Writers Group co-led by Royal Court Theatre and Deafinitely Theatre (20/21).
Nickie Miles-Wildin, Associate Director at Graeae said; “Shahid is a truly engaging and gifted writer who came to Graeae through our Write To Play programme. I’m thrilled that the Royal Court and Graeae are working in partnership to develop and nurture this amazing playwright. I cannot wait to see what Shahid creates.”
Lucy Morrison, Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre added; “We are hugely excited to be partnering with Graeae Theatre Company – a trailblazing force for theatre and home to the country’s leading Deaf and disabled artists, to co-commission Shahid Iqbal Khan. Shahid is a writer who asks big questions through deep and detailed characters and we look forward to being enriched and energised by his thinking over the coming year.
We hope it will be an empowering experience for him to shape his own journey with both organisations and a way to grow our relationship with a writer we have loved getting to know through conversations about his work and through our Royal Court/Deafinitely writers’ group.”
For more information about Graeae, visit their website
