Review: The Reluctant Fundamentalist, The Yard Theatre ★★★✰
Play: The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Based on the novel by: Mohsin Hamid
Adaptation: Stephanie Street
Director: Prasanna Puwanarajah
Theatre: The Yard Theatre

The journey of disillusion and self-realisation in Mohsin Hamid’s thrilling and acclaimed novel, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, is given life on the stage by playwright Stephanie Street.
Street’s adaptation of Hamid’s Man Booker shortlisted novel stays true to its themes of infatuation and disillusionment with corporate America. The narrative follows the main protagonist, Changez, a Princeton student from Pakistan chasing corporate success and a love affair with the beautiful Erica — an unrequited love as Erica still grieves the death of her childhood sweetheart. After graduating from Princeton, Changez becomes the golden boy of the ruthless consultancy firm Underwood Samson, and seems set to have his American dream. That is until 9/11. Changez’ world is rocked by mounting fear and prejudice, where solidarity with his countrymen in Pakistan is viewed with suspicion. Changez must re-evaluate his position, and decide where he belongs. Ashkay Sharan, who plays Changez, is a compelling performer who deftly manoeuvres his character’s disenchantment with America and prodigal return to Pakistan.
Familiar with the novel, I wondered how Street and director Prasanna Puwanarajah would realise the novel’s café setting, where the narrative begins as Changez narrates his life story to an American stranger we begin to suspect is a CIA agent. Set in a round, the audience is seated at the sides, with a performance area in the middle. The café remains, but the American has been replaced by the imagined character of Changez’ brother Hafez, played by Muhammed Kahn. This is a worthwhile risk, as Hafez brings a rich sense of Lahore to the story, which is in stark contrast to the scenes in America. Sharan and Khan’s bilingual scenes in English and Urdu emphasise the two worlds Changez is caught between, and with just a few props — a large pot and tea table stand at one end — Sharan and Khan bring an authentic café feel as they delight the audience with chai tea and samosas.
Commendations all round for a strong young cast, all under 25. They carry the emotionally-charged text well. Jim, played by Laurence Bown, is an imposing presence as the Underwood Samson boss.
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jasmine Jones and Joseph Allan give strong supporting performances as Underwood Samson associates. Their interactions with Changez nuance the poisonous rise of prejudice. This is palpable in the strip search scene, which is particularly harrowing because of how menacing Reece Miller is as the Customs Officer.
Alice Harding, who plays Changez’ love interest Erica, provides a gentle counterpoint to the arrogance of the corporate environment. However, Harding’s aloofness wears thin and it is a one-note performance which fails to convey the emotional depth of Erica’s withdrawal from the world.
A few things irked slightly: the presence of Erica’s dead boyfriend (Reece Miller) felt unnecessary, and having Juan Battista, the Colombian publisher, played by a Caucasian actor (Joseph Allan) took away slightly from the interplay with Changez. In the novel, the interaction with Battista is pivotal to Changez’ transformation and recession from America. The optics are important here as Battista and Changez are both positioned as ‘the other’, which just doesn’t come across as strongly in the play. Perhaps with such a small cast playing multiple roles, this casting decision may have been unavoidable.
Overall, Street’s adaptation of The Reluctant Fundamentalist is a good retelling which emphasises the disillusionment with America in the wake of 9/11. It is an insightful play which asks important questions, such as ‘who am I?’ and ‘where is home?’ for people of colour straddling multiple cultures.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist ran at The Yard Theatre from 8 to 12 August 2017 as part of the National Youth Theatre’s East End Season.
Find out more here: https://theyardtheatre.co.uk/theatre/events/national-youth-theatre-at-the-yard/the-reluctant-fundamentalist/ \
