"10 Nights" by Shahid Iqbal Khan.

Phizzical Productions.

Derby Theatre.

"10 Nights" was developed through the Write To Play programme by Graeae Theatre Company and originally co-produced by Graeae and Tamasha, in association with the Bush Theatre in 2021.

Phizzical commission and produce South Asian arts and cultural experiences, and have been doing so for the last twenty years.

Adeel Ali is Yasser, a young man who decides to take part in itikaf, voluntarily sleeping and fasting in the mosque for the last ten nights of Ramadan, he soon starts to regret his decision. He navigates smug worshippers, shared bathrooms, and recurring thoughts of chunky chips, and his isolation forces him to confront a side of himself he’s been trying to keep hidden.

I have, and have had Muslim friends over the years and know how difficult they found Ramadan, one fellow worker often fell asleep at her work desk on several occasions throughout this period.

This play gives an in depth view of a person who takes part in this deeply religious act and shows the strict procedures they go through; there's even a certain way to wash, the prayer schedule and the fasting. Yasser collapses a couple of times in the ten day period. It indicates that by minimising the food intake, not only leaves the body weak, but also affects the mind and gets the person fasting to delve deep into their thoughts and examine their past actions, and thoughts.

Adeel also adds voice to several other characters within the story. To make sure that everyone knows they are other characters, the words are all projected on a backdrop screen in different colours alongside the character in question.

The play is performed straight through without an interval and lasts around an hour and twenty minutes in total. It's performed in English with some Urdu and Arabic references.

Directed by Sâmir Bhamra, he makes sure that this production is fully inclusive, writing and creating a piece of theatre that is entertaining as well as educational, especially to someone who knows very little about the inner workings of a "different to their own" religion. I certainly learned new things tonight and was entertained fully, especially with the human comedy element.

The set was what I imagine the inside of a mosque would look like; what I didn't realise was that there are areas set aside as living quarters, or the hovel as Yasser describes it. It's bright and colourful in decor, but the washing and toilet areas did strike me as being basic, especially the toilet. There's a lot of eye opening for me during this play.

Lighting design is by Rajiv Pattani and sound design is by Sarah Sayeed.

The projections I mentioned are by Rudi Okassi-Henry. There are not just to show the speech but also to take you into the mind of Yasser with flashbacks for him.

Costume Designer is Simron Sabri.

Monday night was only about a third full and will not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's a fascinating insight into what happens when a person voluntarily takes on this religious task, and how religiously they stick to that task. I also love seeing new theatre, and especially theatre that has something different to offer. and that box is definitely ticked with this piece of theatre.

"10 Nights" is at Derby Theatre only until Tuesday 28 January.