’Deewane’ in Hindi translates as ‘crazy or mad about’ and the Riverside National Theatre of Parramatta performance of Azan Ahmed’s play DAYTIME DEEWANE delivers all the high energy, movement and music suggested by the title.
It’s set in a London daytime rave club in 1997, where British Pakistanis come to escape the strictures of family and religious rules and curfews – to a place which does not turn away people with their skin colour. It is a story about ‘brotherhood, about growing up, becoming a man. It is a story about being the outsider, being an awkward teenager, and about clashes of morals. The stories are both local and universal.
Written in part spoken word, monologue and dialogue; the play covers the lives of a 20 year old ‘cool, Sadiq and his wide-eyed 16 year old cousin, Farhan. The audience is drawn in from the opening scene as part of the club overlooking and surrounding the stage. We see Farhan grow from the child with adult responsibilities to the adult trying to work through his childhood longings and decisions related to his cousin. We see glimpses of the older cousin’s predictable life trajectory. Various themes of race, class, family destruction and cohesion are dealt with insight, humour and pathos.
The strong performances by both leads reveal strength, bravado, confusion and tenderness. Ashan Kumar as the older cousin, Sadiq, and Ariyan Sharma as ‘the boy becoming the man’ Farhan both graduated from NIDA within the last 5 years.
Adding energy, drama and poignancy to the performance was the soundscape. From Bhangra fused dance music to soft evocative orchestral waves the score was developed by award-winning Chrysoulla Maroulli, Composer and Sound Designer, supported by Deepa Alam as Music Consultant.
The award-winning UK playwright, Azan Ahmed was commissioned to write this play Din 2002. The Director, Sepy Baghaei, has trained and worked both in Australia and the UK which assists in bringing this UK play to Australian audiences. Cultural authenticity was ensured by Aleena Rizvi, Cultural Consultant and Linda Nicholls-Gidley, Dialect/ Voice Consultant. Having audience members on both sides of the stage – looking onto and at times being part of the dance floor, presented a challenge for lighting design which Brockman delivered magically. The choreography and fight scenes were expertly guided by Shyamla Eswara, Choreographer and Movement Director, and Tim Dashwood, Fight Director.
Also supporting the performance were Rita Naidu, Costume Designer, D. Andrew Potvin, Production Manager and Justice Georgopoulos, Stage Manager
There was a resounding standing ovation on the opening night.
After about a decade as Executive and Creative Producer at National Theatre of Parramatta, this is Joanne Kee’s final show with the company before she moves to the Seymour Centre. DAYTIME DEEWANE, a very much big team effort. This show is deservedly a high point.
DAYTIME DEEWANE continues this week 21-25 October 2025 at the Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres Parramatta
Production photography by Phil Erbacher
DAYTIME DEEWANE is playing the Lennox Theatre, Riverside Theatres, until the 25th October 2025.
