Hanif Kureishi: The Black Album

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 Albumwas first performed in the Cottesloe auditorium of the National Theatre, London, on 14 July 2009. The cast was as follows:

Shahid HasanJonathan Bonnici

Riaz al HussainAlexander Andreou

StrapperGlyn Pritchard

HatBeruce Khan

Deedee OsgoodTanya Franks

Tahira / ZulmaShereen Martineau

Andrew BrownlowSean Gallagher

ChadNitin Kundra

ChiliRobert 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

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)

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.

MotherArey, 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 …

MotherHow happy your papa will be in paradise when you return with a college degree.

ShahidHND, Ammi –

Mother( dismissive ) Degree is a degree. ( Exclaims .) My one son charms a beautiful girl like Zulma from Karachi –

ShahidNot exactly difficult.

MotherDon’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.

ShahidYes, Ammi.

MotherAnd ring. Every evening I want to hear progress report, just like your papa used to. Socks — have you packed enough?

ShahidYes.

MotherHere’s a kebab roll to eat on the train –

ShahidI’m only going to London –

MotherYou’ll get hungry — why waste money? I’ve also precisely told Chili to take good care of you. He will visit often –

ShahidOh, no.

MotherListen to what he says. Packed the computer Papa bought you?

ShahidOf course.

MotherPapa will be so pleased. And Shahid?

ShahidWhat?

MotherDon’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.

StrapperWant some E?

Shahid( surprised ) What?

Strapper( urgent ) E, man — ecstasy! Want some?

ShahidNo!

StrapperKeep 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 .

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.

RiazYou speak Urdu well.

ShahidRusty.

The light flickers back on .

RiazHave 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?

ShahidOnly when reading a good book.

RiazYou are searching for something.

ShahidAm I?

Riaz( clears space and settles himself in the room ) Come.

Shahid( confused ) Where?

RiazSit, sit. I’ve ordered food from an excellent Pakistani takeaway near here.

ShahidThank you.

RiazThe boy will come soon. Where are you from?

ShahidSevenoaks, Kent.

RiazI am from Lahore originally.

ShahidThat ‘originally’ is a big thing.

RiazYou recognise that, eh? You are a Pakistani at heart.

ShahidWell … not quite.

RiazBut yes. I have observed you before.

ShahidHave you? What was I doing?

RiazYou are hard-working. We all are who come here. I am without a doubt over your earnestness.

ShahidI’m desperate for good Indian food.