Interview: Kickflicking stereotypes

Writer Asif Khan talks giving skateboarding Muslim girls centre stage

It’s all action at Polka Theatre this spring, as Sisters 360 comes to the stage. This is an extraordinary tale of two Muslim sisters, determined to win in a skateboarding competition, despite life getting in their way. We wanted to know more about this unusual story so we called up writer Asif Khan to find out more.

Hi Asif. Firstly, thanks very much for talking to us today. Can you tell us a bit about the plot behind Sisters 360?

Fatima (British-Somali) and Salima (British-Pakistani) are 10 year old step-sisters from Bradford, determined to win the ‘Tiny is Mighty’ skateboarding competition. They love each other, they love skateboarding, rapping, YouTube-ing, and their parents are both madly in love with each other. Life is perfect. Until Fatima’s mum gets her dream job in London. That’s when things take a turn and despite all their efforts the parents decide to separate, meaning Fatima will move to London with her mum and Salima will stay in Bradford with her dad. But the sisters are not ones to give up. They continue to practice and they will do everything possible to ensure things go back to how they were. With the competition around the corner, the sisters make a magical discovery… and I’ll leave it there! It a two-hander, comedy, full of fun, mischief, and lots of action.

The play is based on a true story. How did you come across it and what made you want to dramatise it?

Actually, it was my mum-in-law who sent me a news article about three young sisters from Hull who skateboarded, and suggested that there might be a good play in it. So I owe it to her! I immediately liked the idea – just seeing three young Muslim girls, each wearing their hijabs and looking cool as on the skateboard. I suggested it to Polka and then it grew from there. The story itself is fictional, but the three girls, Layna, Maysa and Amaya, were the initial inspiration, and of course Olympic Medallist Sky Brown.

It’s unusual to see two teenage Muslim girls as leads in a play. How does the show tackle stereotypes?

Yes, it’s rare to see two 10 year old hijab-wearing Muslim girls lead a play. Sadly, there’s not enough positive representation of Muslims out there. Just having the characters ‘Fatima’ and ‘Salima’ on the stage, visibly Muslim, on a skateboard, immediately breaks so many stereotypes. And that’s precisely why I wanted to write it.

All of my plays include British Muslim characters, with the hope of challenging the negative narratives about Muslims. As a Muslim myself, I’m exhausted and pained by the continued demonisation and constant barrage of negative narratives about Muslims, from the top, from our politicians. Just recently, for example, Suella Braverman was speaking in the US, saying ‘what happens if the UK falls into the hands of Muslim Fundamentalism… and our legal system gets substituted by Sharia law?’ I feel that Muslims have been dehumanised, more so than at any other time in my life. I think about my kids a lot and what world I want for them. Certainly not the one I’ve experienced where I actually feel, experience, hear, see Islamophobia and racism daily.

But Sisters360 is simply a story about two young girls with a big dream – determined to make that dream a reality. The ‘Muslim’ aspect is not the important part; which in turn makes it important, because I want everyone from every background, faith, race to simply see two charismatic young British girls and root for them! 

Did you find it problematic as a man writing about the experience of young females?

Yes, naturally, it’s always more challenging to write female characters, it would have been a lot easier to write two boys! But seeing girls on a skateboard is also part of the stereotype-busting I hope this play does. Skateboarding is mostly seen as a boy’s thing, but Sky Brown at the Olympics really changed that, and in fact inspired those three sisters from Hull. It would be incredible if this play were to inspire more girls to try skateboarding! The main things I was focusing on when writing the characters, are the things young ten year old boys and girls share in common: the dreams, the ambitions, the joy, the excitement, the energy, the mischief, the naughtiness, the silliness, the laughter! I also had brilliant guidance from Helen Matravers from Polka, and have an all female creative team. Lastly, I have a daughter and nieces, who were very much present in my mind as I typed!

So, skateboarding on the stage – sounds tricky! How is this going to work?

Yes, that was a thought we had straight away! Can we find two talented actors who fit the roles and can also skateboard at a high level? The characters have a clear skateboarding talent, and so I decided that the skateboarding in the play be done using a stylised, theatrical, dance approach. We have a brilliant movement director on board, who’s been working with the actors in the rehearsal room.

The show has been produced by Polka Theatre, AIK and Turtle Key Arts, in association with Leeds Playhouse. What does this amazing combination of talents bring to the production?

All the above have talented individuals working for them, passionate about new work for young people. I’m very lucky indeed to have them all invested in the show. It’s my first play with Polka, who have an incredibly supportive team and Leeds Playhouse is a building I know very well from the time I was a young actor in Bradford. I’ve had a brilliant relationship with Turtle Key Arts since 2014, and together we’ve taken our previous work to venues throughout the UK, to San Francisco and Washington DC. 

Sisters 360 is aimed at ages 8-12 years. What are you hoping these young people will enjoy about the show?

Ultimately, I want young audiences to be gripped by the show. I want them to laugh, I want them to root for the characters. I want them to leave the theatre feeling like they had an amazing time. I’d like them to feel inspired, happy and included. I want them to shout about the show to their friends. I can’t wait for the audience reaction!

Thanks very much to Asif for telling us about this exciting piece of new writing. Watch this space for our review coming up! 

Sisters 360 is aimed at ages 8-12 years and runs at Polka Theatre
from Saturday 22 March until Sunday 27 April.