If, along with mythology, religions are among man’s most important and finest creation — with God perhaps being his greatest idea of all — Shahid also learns how corrupt and stultifying these concepts can become if they fetishise obedience and ritual, if they are not renewed and rethought. Like language itself, they can become decadent, and newness doesn’t have an easy time. Blasphemy is as old as God and as necessary; religion and blasphemy are made for one another. Without blasphemy religion has no potency or meaning. There’s nothing like a useful provocation to start a good conversation, and this can only be to the advantage of religion, keeping it tied to scepticism.
In The Black Album it turns out that Shahid is one of the lucky ones, strong enough to find out — after flirting with extreme religion — that he’d rather affect the world as an artist than as an activist. The others in his group are not so intelligent or objective; or perhaps they are just more passionate for political change.
Whatever the reasons — and it is probably too late for psychological explanations — something had begun to stir in the late eighties which has had a profound effect on our world, and which we are still trying to come to terms with.
~ ~ ~
The Black Album was first performed in the Cottesloe auditorium of the National Theatre, London, on 14 July 2009. The cast was as follows:
Shahid Hasan Jonathan Bonnici
Riaz al Hussain Alexander Andreou
Strapper Glyn Pritchard
Hat Beruce Khan
Deedee Osgood Tanya Franks
Tahira / Zulma Shereen Martineau
Andrew Brownlow Sean Gallagher
Chad Nitin Kundra
Chili Robert Mountford
Director Jatinder Verma
Set Designer Tim Hatley
Costume Designer Claudia Mayer
Lighting Designer Jvan Morandi
Video Designer Tom Hadley
Choreographer Shobana Jeyasingh
Music Sister Bliss
Music Assciate John Gingell
Sound Designer Fergus O’Hare
Graphics and Animation Sara Nestruk
Characters
Shahid Hasan
Strapper
Riaz al-Hussain
Hat
Chad
Deedee Osgood
Andrew Brownlow
Chili
Zulma
In a company of nine, other characters may be doubled as follows
Young Man, Councillor Rudder, Reporter (Strapper)
Heavy 1 (Andrew Brownlow)
Heavy 2 (Chad)
Old Man, Cameraman (Chili)
Tahira, Mother (Zulma)
Act One
SCENE ONE
Rural, suburban sounds, late afternoon. Lights fade up on a map of the world, followed by the legend HASAN TRAVELS. Shahid enters, wrapped in an overcoat and carrying two suitcases. He puts them down and looks at the map and the legend. Mother enters.
Mother Arey, Shahid …!
She pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket, spits on it and proceeds to wipe his face.
Going to college in London and so not smart.
Shahid (protesting) Ammi …
Mother How happy your papa will be in paradise when you return with a college degree.
Shahid HND, Ammi –
Mother (dismissive) Degree is a degree. (Exclaims.) My one son charms a beautiful girl like Zulma from Karachi –
Shahid Not exactly difficult.
Mother Don’t argue. Chili and Zulma are a golden couple. And you are about to charm books into a degree! Have you packed toothpaste? All-Bran? Wake up, brush your teeth, have All-Bran with yoghurt and straightaway you will have perfect motions, smooth as the day is long. Promise me.
Shahid Yes, Ammi.
Mother And ring. Every evening I want to hear progress report, just like your papa used to. Socks — have you packed enough?
Shahid Yes.
Mother Here’s a kebab roll to eat on the train –
Shahid I’m only going to London –
Mother You’ll get hungry — why waste money? I’ve also precisely told Chili to take good care of you. He will visit often –
Shahid Oh, no.
Mother Listen to what he says. Packed the computer Papa bought you?
Shahid Of course.
Mother Papa will be so pleased. And Shahid?
Shahid What?
Mother Don’t talk to strangers.
Shahid picks up his cases and leaves. Mother hides her face in her sari and starts crying. As he walks off, soundscape gradually shifts to polyglot and frenetic late-eighties London, and we see him journey to his north London digs. Strapper bumps into him.
Strapper Want some E?
Shahid (surprised) What?
Strapper (urgent) E, man — ecstasy! Want some?
Shahid No!
Strapper Keep your shirt on, Paki!
Strapper runs off. Shahid arrives at his digs, unpacks his new Amstrad computer and sits down to work.
As he works, London day and night life passes by in the rooms around him — lodgers variously dancing, smoking dope, praying. Shahid is seen going between his computer and his bed, eating, reading, working and having a wank. The light in his room flickers off.
SCENE TWO
Shahid’s digs. There is a knock, followed by a door opening.
Riaz (in Urdu) Khariat hai? [All okay?]
Shahid (startled, in Urdu) J-ji … Aur aap? [Yes … And you?]
Riaz (in Urdu) Jho Allah-tala ko manzoor … [Whatever Allah wills.] (Introducing himself.) Riaz Al-Hussain.
Shahid (introducing himself) Shahid Hasan.
Riaz You speak Urdu well.
Shahid Rusty.
The light flickers back on.
Riaz Have you eaten? When I am studying and writing I forget for hours to eat and then I remember that I am ravenous. Are you like this?
Shahid Only when reading a good book.
Riaz You are searching for something.