Permission - Tara Theatre Review

Reviewed by Jess at Tara Theatre

Ticket was gifted in return for an honest review

This play, written by Hunia Chawla, set between a Karachi home and University College London, takes us on a 70 minute exploration of the intricacies of feminism, liberation and activism across two cultures. It cleverly compares the two settings and delves into the privilege and of course, the permissions that each allows to young women.

Photo by Adam Razvi

We see Hanna (Anisa Butt) move from her family home to study in London whilst her best friend Minza (Rea Malholtra-Mukhtyar) takes up a place at the university of Karachi. In these two places of education, both find their feet in feminism and activism and whilst Minza originally presents as the more impassioned, their different journeys and influences guide them towards their available actions. 
 
This is an incredibly interesting and thought-provoking piece. It tackles serious subject matter, but still manages to be light-hearted and humorous, in part due to Rea Malhotra Mukhtyar’s incredibly natural comic acting. She flipped flawlessly, in accent and character between native Pakistani Minza and British-born Pakistani Anusha. She brought both depth and levity to both characters, so much so that I almost forgot she was performing. Anisa Butt as Hanna was also very funny, bringing the audience with her, not only when asking front row audience members to play along, but in Hanna’s joyful moments. Much of Hanna’s journey however is difficult and she represents this in a way that feels authentic and raw. 
 
There are many jokes that are specifically for a Pakistani spectators, and I thoroughly enjoyed feeling the energy and the engaged response from the audience members when these moments arose, adding greatly to my experience of the play. I appreciated watching the western trope of “Oppressed Muslim girls” from their own perspective, a viewpoint rarely given adequate airtime and particularly, the casual label of “toxicity” the character of Anusha gives to Hanna’s family life, on hearing of her father’s disappointment in her. This was a powerful moment, albeit quick and rather humorous, highlighting the flippant western branding of cultures unbeknownst to them. 

Photo by Adam Razvi

 
The set was effective in scene setting, aided by smart props and the lighting made clear distinctions between not just locations, but emotions and timings. The male characters appearing only in sound recording felt a little unnatural but the audience are quickly brought on board by Anisha Butt’s very natural reactions to the invisible men in her life. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this play and though only 70 minutes long, felt that the themes and characters were fully developed. It allowed me to see activism through a different perspective, learn something new and become invested in two strong, loving female characters as they grow into themselves and their strength.
 
Aside from the play itself, I would love to encourage people to put the Tara Theatre on their personal map. Dedicated to uplifting and platforming theatre through a south Asian lens (a perspective notably lacking from the West End), it is friendly, full of heart and quite literally 10 minutes from Central London.

Local theatres such as this are at the heart of the arts, creating quality productions by showcasing unheard voices, raising the artists we go on to think of as stars, and giving people safe spaces to create. They need our support even more than the renowned spaces we know and love. I will certainly be back!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Permission plays at Tara Theatre until Saturday 7th June 2025. Tickets are available from https://taratheatre.com/

Photo by Adam Razvi