Phizzical Productions is delighted to announce the return of Shahid Iqbal Khan’s Olivier Award-nominated play 10 Nights, which will open at Riverside Studios on Wednesday 8 January 2025, ahead of a UK tour. Sâmir Bhamra directs Adeel Ali in this heartfelt and humorous one-man play exploring themes of faith, community, and self-discovery.

10 Nights opens at Riverside Studios Hammersmith (8 – 26 January) before touring to Derby Theatre (27 – 28 January), The Lowry Manchester (30 January – 1 February), Lawrence Batley Theatre (4 – 5 February) and Birmingham Hippodrome (6 – 8 February).

When Yasser decides to take part in itikaf—spending the last ten nights of Ramadan in quiet reflection at a mosque—he encounters unexpected challenges. Between navigating communal spaces, the quirks of his fellow worshippers, and cravings for chunky chips, Yasser’s journey becomes one of reckoning with hidden truths about himself and his relationships.

This gentle and powerful story blends humour and poignancy, offering a touching portrayal of a young man trying to reconcile his faith, personal struggles, and aspirations. At its heart, the play is a coming-of-age story about fractured friendships and a community striving to live with dignity, hope, and unity.

Shahid Iqbal Khan, writer of 10 Nights, said: “2024 began beautifully with Phizzical Productions’ gorgeous production of 10 Nights. I am looking forward to their remount once more in 2025. It has become a festive tradition to watch 10 Nights while the month of Ramadan is nigh. I love that the 2025 tour will go even further north this time to places like Huddersfield and Greater Manchester. I am excited to see Adeel Ali in the role of Yasser—I can’t wait to see what he comes up with!”

The role of Yasser will be performed by Adeel Ali, a versatile and classically trained actor with a breadth of experience across stage and screen. Adeel has brought to life a diverse range of characters, from Shakespearean roles to contemporary works like Atiha Sen Gupta’s What Fatima Did, appearing at major UK theatres. His screen credits include a recurring role in the upcoming series The Family Man and appearances in feature films such as Jawani Jaaneman.

Adeel Ali said: “I am thrilled to be cast in 10 Nights, a phenomenal play that will allow me to portray different characters, reflecting society, understanding religion, and celebrating a time of togetherness of community.”

Director Sâmir Bhamra added: “10 Nights is about more than just theatre – it’s the kind of British Asian story we need right now – human, relatable, and unapologetically real, that truly reflects our diverse society. Shahid’s play dismantles stereotypes about Muslim men with warmth, grace, and humour and I am delighted that our venue partners are working with us to welcome communities who have been constantly ignored.”

The voice and text coach is Salvatore Sorce, costume design for 10 Nights is by Simron Sabri, sound design is by Sarah Sayeed and Reuben Cook, video production is by Rudi Okasili-Henry with lighting design by Rajiv Pattani, movement direction by Hamza Ali with Samina Ali as creative producer.

Tickets are now available at https://www.phizzical.com/show/10-nights/.

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Access 10 Nights EPK here.

For further press information, please contact:

Kriti Shah

Media House

[email protected]

Notes to Editors:

2025 TOUR DATES

Wed 8 – Sun 26 January

Press night: Monday 13 January, 7pm

RIVERSIDE STUDIOS

101 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9BN

Visit Riverside Studios

Mon 27 – Tue 28 January

DERBY THEATRE

15 Theatre Walk, St Peter’s Quarter, Derby DE1 2NF

Visit Derby Theatre

Thu 30 January – Sat 1 February

THE LOWRY

Pier 8, The Quays, Salford M50 3AZ

Visit The Lowry

Tue 4 – Wed 5 February

LAWRENCE BATLEY THEATRE

Queen’s Square, Queen St, Huddersfield HD1 2SP

Visit Lawrence Batley Theatre

Thu 6 – Sat 8 February

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB

Visit Birmingham Hippodrome

AWARD RECOGNITION

The 2024 production of 10 Nights received the following accolades:

• Offies: Best Solo Performance in a Play for Azan Ahmed
• Eastern Eye ACTAs: Best Director
• Eastern Eye ACTAs: Best Stage Production

BIOGRAPHIES

Shahid Iqbal Khan

Writer

Shahid Iqbal Khan writes for theatre and radio. His writing journey began with Phizzical Productions, creating early works such as The Smile of Despair (Attenborough Arts Centre) and Stardust (Belgrade Theatre). He developed 10 Nights through Graeae Theatre’s Write To Play programme.

His play Jinnity was shortlisted for the George Devine Award in 2023.

Shahid is currently on the Genesis New Writers Programme (Almeida Theatre commission) and is a recipient of the Peter Shaffer commission from the National Theatre (in partnership with Octagon Theatre). He is also on attachment to Paines Plough in 2024 as part of the Peggy Ramsay/Film4 Bursary.

On radio, Shahid made his Afternoon Drama debut with Love Across the Ages (BBC Radio 4). He is adapting The Last of the Mohicans into a drama series, set to air on Radio 4 in December 2025.

Adeel Ali (Yasser)

Adeel starred as Rocky in feature film Judwaa 2, directed by David Dhawan, and can most recently be seen opposite Saif Ali Khan in Jawani Janeman on Prime, his further Television Credits include: BBC’s BAFTA winning series Spooks and Zee TV’s Never Kiss Your Best Friend. He is currently filming for the role of Lloyd in the international award winning Prime series The Family Man which will air in 2025.

In theatre Adeel has played the role of Ferdinand in Shakespeare’s The Tempest, ( Belt up Theatre) and has played the Leading role in What Fatima Did (Derby Theatre) directed by Sarah Brigham. Most recently he was seen playing Tiger in Phizzical Productions’ Bollywood Superstar (The Lowry Theatre). Further theatre credits include Between the Two (Birmingham Rep) and Destiny Done As She’s Told (Talawa Theatre Company)

Adeel trained classically at Guildford School of Acting. As a writer, he has published monologues in the book ‘Hear Me Now’ (vol2) for Tamasha Theatre edited by Titilola Dawudu.

Sâmir Bhamra

Director / Set Designer

Sâmir Bhamra is the founder and artistic director of the dance-theatre-music company Phizzical and the creative director of the UK Asian Film Festival. This marriage of performing arts and cinema influences the work he makes.

His writing credits include: Make U Amazing (BBC film commission) and the musicals Bombay Superstars (His Majesty’s Theatre, London), Stardust, Bring on the Bollywood and Precious Bazaar.

His directing credits include musicals Bombay Superstars, Stardust, Bring on the Bollywood, Jean Genet’s The Maids, Romeo+Laila and Precious Bazaar.

His credits for directing and adapting William Shakespeare’s works include Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, King Lear, Tempest, A Midsummer Nights Dream, Othello and Romeo & Juliet.

His outdoor and site specific immersive work include Strictly Tango working with Camilla Dalleup and Ram Lila for Leicester City Council as part of celebrating the city’s culture during the Rugby World Cup 2015, Circle of Light for Peterborough District Council and Ticket 2 Bollywood as part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Cultural Olympiad.

He delivered 12 projects during the pandemic as part of the UK City of Culture programme and 29 projects as part of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Cultural Olympiad including a Carnival procession with 700 participants during the Olympic Torch Relay.

Sâmir was awarded the British Indian Award and highly commended at Windrush Awards.

Rajiv Pattani

Lighting Designer

Rajiv graduated from LAMDA in 2014 with qualifications in Stage Management and Technical Theatre.

Recent credits include: Bonfire (Derby Theatre/Sheffield Theatre/Nonsuch); Trueman and the Arsonists (Roundhouse); High Times and Dirty Monsters (20 Stories High/Graeae/Liverpool Everyman/LEEDS 2023/Tour); Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time (Southbank Centre & Tour); The Garden of Words (Park200); Strategic Love Play (Paines Plough Roundabout/Tour); Sorry, You’re Not a Winner (Paines Plough Tour); Hairy, Let’s Build! (Polka Theatre); The Flood (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); SMOKE (Southwark Playhouse/ 3Heart Canvas); Yellowfin (Southwark Playhouse); Kabul Goes Pop: Music Television Afghanistan, Alice in Wonderland (Poltergeist Theatre Co/Brixton House); Yellowman, Statements After an Arrest Under the Immortality Act, OUTSIDE (Orange Tree); Supernova (also Tour), Wolfie (Theatre 503); Mog the Forgetful Cat, Winners (Wardrobe Ensemble); Pilgrims (Guildhall School of Music and Drama); Final Farewell, Dawaat (Tara Theatre); Hunger (Arcola); Dirty Crusty (Yard Theatre); Dismantle This Room (Royal Court Downstairs); Nassim (also Edinburgh Traverse/International Tour), Babylon Beyond Boarders, Leave Taking, Ramona Tells Jim (Bush Theatre).

Salvatore Sorce

Voice and Dialect Coach

Theatre includes: For Black Boys Who…2024 (Garrick Theatre), The Boy at the Back of Class (UK tour), Queens of Sheba (London and US tour), The Old Man and the Pool (Wyndhams Theatre), In Dreams (Leeds Playhouse), 42nd Street (Sadlers Wells and UK tour), For Black Boys Who Consider Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (Apollo Shaftesbury), A Little Life (Harold Pinter and Savoy Theatre), Black Superhero (Royal Court), Suckerpunch (UK Tour), The Two Popes (UK Tour), Bad Jews (Arts Theatere) Girl from the North Country (UK tour), First Touch (Nottingham Playhouse), Persuasion (Rose Theatre and UK Tour), Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe) Goodnight Mr Tom (Duke of Yorks).

Television includes: Paris Has Fallen, My Lady Jane, Transatlantic.

Film includes: Silver, A Bit of Light.

Sarah Sayeed

Sound Designer

Sarah Sayeed is a musician, composer, sound designer and writer with over 15 years of experience working collaboratively with a range of artists and on productions.

As a musical artist, her practice focuses around contemporary works that are influenced by a plethora of styles and musical traditions. Sarah has created compositions and sound designs across Western classical choral works, Indian and Bengali classical vocals, instrumental pieces and her first love: contemporary jazz, soul and hip hop. Sarah plays instruments tanpura and shruti, and is the lead vocalist in international duet Myth of Her with violin and electronic artist Anne Eltard (Copenhagen, Denmark). Sarah is currently training in classical vocals with leading Classical Indian Music maestro Swati Natekar and was the successful recipient of the Portfolio Composers Scheme in partnership with Sound and Music and Kuljit Bhamra.

Sarah’s credits include Composer and Sound Designer for Santi and Naz (The Thelmas), Composer and Sound Designer for We Are Shadows (Tamasha), Principle Musician in Richard 2nd at Shakespeare’s Globe (2019, Composer & Musical Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company adaption of Moliere’s Tartuffe (2019/2018) and Sound Designer for Contact Theatre’s production on Suffragette Movement, She Bangs The Drums (2018). In 2021 she worked on Ten Nights directed by Kash Arshad (co-production with Graeae and Tamasha) and Shakespeare’s in Italy A Merchant of Venice, directed by Bill Alexander. Sarah has been Creative Director of multi artform organisation Project Phakama since 2020.

Reuben Cook

Associate Sound Designer

Reuben’s previous roles have been in-house at venues including Oxford Playhouse, Sadler’s Wells and most recently Hackney Empire, where he now holds an associate position with responsibility for the organisation’s digital and IT systems and infrastructure as well as technical AV design, production and live event broadcast. Alongside this, Reuben maintains long-standing collaborative partnerships with a range of artists and performers with whom he has produced large scale annual variety productions and toured work internationally.

Rudi Okasii-Henty

Video Projection

I’m a London-based comic, concept artist, illustrator, and animator. My inspirations come from many places: from Dungeons and Dragons to video games, concept art to comics and novels. I studied and worked at Coventry University, earning my degree in Illustration and Animation and then sharing my knowledge as a teacher on the course. Storytelling and helping bring narratives to life has always been a passion of mine.

Hamza Ali

Movement Director

Hamza is an interdisciplinary movement artist and performance coach. His performer-centric approach empowers identity and heritage through movement direction. Movement credits include Duck (Arcola Theatre), Going For Gold (Chelsea Theatre), For One More Day to Live (Theatre Peckham) and Statues (Barbican). Much of his work has centred around the intersections of masculinity and British South Asian identities.

As a professional sports coach and experienced theatre-maker, he combines optimal physical performance with unique creative expression.

He recently staged two acclaimed original productions, Bhai (The Place) and 1518 (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and is now the Rehearsal Director for Dante or Die’s upcoming production Kiss Marry Kill (UK Tour).

A recipient of the Embassy Scholarship, he graduated with an MA in Movement from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2021.

Simron Sabri

Costume Designer

Simron Sabri graduated in Costume Design at Birmingham City University in summer 2023. During her course, she realised there is a lack of UK based costume designers who cater for South Asian productions. As a result of this, she decided she wanted to fill that gap and believes it’s important to represent and showcase South Asian culture in contemporary Britain through the power of performing arts and design.

Simron has worked for Wondrous Stories which was part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has worked on two touring dance productions Mughal Miniatures Scene 2 and Roshni by Sonia Sabri Company.

Simron says “The play is a beautiful representation of young Muslims who struggle to find their relationship with Islam in a modern world. It touched my soul and I believe that young Muslims will really connect with it”.

ABOUT PHIZZICAL PRODUCTIONS

Phizzical Productions is an award-winning creative company that has been shaping British Asian performing arts for over two decades. Known for their innovative and culturally resonant productions, their recent successes include the West End premiere of Bombay Superstars, a Bollywood-inspired musical that saw 22 South Asian performers make their West End debut. Phizzical became an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation in 2023 and won the Best South Asian Producer award at the SME Midlands Enterprise Awards in 2024.

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