Lead pic cred: Nathaniel Curtis by Henri T
Nathaniel Curtis (It’s a Sin), Nnabiko Ejimofor (For Black Boys…), Mariam Haque (Black Mirror) and Anthony Howell (A Thousand Blows) star in a new play focussing on the friendship between a queer man and his straight female best friend.
The Real Ones, a funny and honest love letter to platonic soulmates, tells the story of best friends Zaid and Neelam, who have a shared a dream: to get away, make it as playwrights, build a future where they’re free to be themselves.
Years later, things are far from what they expected. Zaid’s life has stalled, half out the closet, living at home and still chasing the dream. While Neelam’s has taken a completely different path, as she chooses to prioritise her own happiness.
As their lives pull further apart and a mess of things left unsaid hangs between them, it becomes less and less clear if they’ll ever find a way back to each other.
Writer Waleed Akhtar, who also wrote the Olivier-Award winning The P Word, said: “One of the greatest things about The P Word was the audience. I’d love to have them come back and see this play as well – it touches on queer themes and perspectives that we don’t always see. I don’t think the relationship between a queer man and his straight female best friend is really explored and I wanted to give that some sort of depth. I kind of write plays for the girls and the gays so, yeah, I’m keeping that up.
“The play had been living in my head for a while. It’s a play about Neelam and Zaid and it charts their friendship like a grand romance. I think we often prioritise romantic loves but actually, friendships are some of the greatest loves of my life.”
The Real Ones is at Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ from 6 September – 19 October. Tickets HERE