Mohamed-Zain Dada

'I don't get angry, people get angry at me. In fact, I've only ever sworn once in a car… in English.' In a hotel basement somewhere in Birmingham, three people – a nurse, a delivery driver and an entrepreneur – are attending a speed-awareness course to address their aggressive driving. Abz, a leading expert on road safety and the most in-demand course facilitator north of the M25, presents them with a choice: change your ways, or lose your licence. But the training course quickly veers into a tumultuous group-therapy session as they are forced to confront the real question: why are we all so angry? Mohamed-Zain Dada's play Speed is a breakneck journey through the daily annoyances and deep-buried secrets that leave us spinning. Wickedly comic and darkly thrilling, it was first performed at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2025, directed by Milli Bhatia.

'You know them Northern Lights you only see in Iceland and Norway? When the particles hit the magnetic poles and BAM. That's what graff became to me. All these mad colours in the sky.' Qamar is a fifteen-year-old maths genius who looks for patterns in everything. Desperate for answers following her brother's death, she meets Stax, an infamous graffiti artist and her brother's former mentor. Under Stax's guidance, Qamar dives into the underground world of street art, and discovers the dream-like space known as the Axis. As she navigates her memories, she uncovers hidden layers of her brother's life and her own. Based on conversations with young people across the UK, Mohamed-Zain Dada's play Dizzy is a fantastical adventure about finding meaning amidst the chaos. It was first produced by Theatre Centre in 2024, in a co-production with Sheffield Theatres where it opened before touring schools and theatres. This edition of the play also includes exclusive original material by renowned artist Cherry Bee.

'Shisha lounges are an essential part of the Muslim experience, bruv, like the Fillet-O-Fish.' Chunkyz Shisha Lounge is a home away from home for Jihad, Rashid and Asif, a space where community whispers are heard, jokes are told, and new hustles are born. But its future is under threat, having become a target for local politicians. Aspiring journalist Jihad wants to fight back. After winning a competition to produce his own documentary, he sets out to create something that gives a voice to his community and challenges the usual stereotypes that fill the airwaves. Will he be able to create something that makes his boys proud? Or will his dreams of becoming a journalist come at a cost too high to bear? Mohamed-Zain Dada's debut play, Blue Mist is a story about South Asian Muslim men navigating a system that isn't built for them. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in October 2023, directed by Milli Bhatia, in a co-production with SISTER. Blue Mist won Best Stage Production at the 2024 Asian Media Awards.