Hanif Kureishi's My Beautiful Laundrette tours to Salford with one of the original cast of the 1985 film.
Gordon Warnecke, who played Omar in Stephen Frear’s Oscar-nominated film, returns to the story on stage as Omar’s wise but world-weary Papa.
Lucca Chadwick-Patel (Millennials, The Other Palace) will play Omar, while Sam Mitchell (To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre) will play Omar’s fascist former school-friend, Johnny.
Originally staged in Leicester as a 'Made at Curve' production in 2019, the tour will see the return of Kammy Darweish (Linck & Mulhahn, Hampstead Theatre) as Omar’s Thatcherite uncle Nasser, Paddy Daly (New Blood, BBC One) as right-wing thug Genghis and Hareet Deol (Ackley Bridge, Channel 4) as Salim, Nasser’s right-hand man.
Emma Bown (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Duke of York’s Theatre) will play Nasser’s lover, Rachel, and skinhead Moose and Sharan Phull (Pink Sari Revolution, The Importance of Being Earnest, Scrooge the Musical, all at Curve) will play Nasser’s daughter, Tania.
Set in South London during the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette tells the story of Omar. After a confrontation with a racist gang, including his former schoolfriend Johnny, Omar uses their history to defuse the situation. Against a backdrop of nationalism, racial tensions, financial crisis and political turmoil, the pair come together to transform a run-down laundrette and realise their feelings for one another.
Originally directed by Nikolai Foster, the tour is directed by Nicole Behan with original music by the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, set and costume design by Grace Smart, lighting by Curve Associate Ben Cracknell and sound design by Tom Marshall. Casting is by Harry Blumenau.
It runs at The Lowry from 19 to 23 March before moving to Liverpool Playhouse 26–30 March and Blackpool Grand 2–6 April.