Before The Millennium - Karim Khan Interview

The Old Fire Station is proud to present: A World Premiere in Oxford this Christmas Before the Millennium By Karim Khan 
ملینیم سے پہلے 
  
“A snowwoman from Pakistan – full of songs, hopes, and dreams…”  
ایوارڈ یافتہ مقامی ڈرامہ نگار
کریم خان کا ڈرامہ

As the final days of 1999 draw near, Pakistani migrants, Zoya and Iqra, work side by side in Woolworth’s Oxford Cowley branch – anxious and excited for what’s to come in the new millennium. At their Christmas staff party, the pair encounter a mysterious new girl – Faiza – who threatens to alter everything they thought they knew about their friendship and their future. 

Magical, tender and quietly radical, Before the Millennium is a lyrical new play from award-winning playwright, Karim Khan – charting the joys of a life-changing friendship, the icy bitterness of homesickness and the sacrifice of migration. 

We sat down with Karim Khan to learn more.

What inspired you to write Before the Millennium?

When I was given the opportunity to write a Christmas show, I spent time thinking about various nostalgic Christmas memories as a child, and Woolworths soon came up. It felt like such a metaphor for something so unanimously adored by everyone, that no longer exists. Alongside this, I've wanted to write about the experiences of migrant Pakistani women for a while - that state of homesickness is something I've really wanted to explore and understand.  

 

Why did you choose the setting for the piece?

For me, the play had to be in Oxford because just like Brown Boys Swim, this show is made and and will be played here in Oxford. I saw just how special it is when a local community gets to see their lives and realities reflected in a show. I hope that we go one step further this time by radically inviting the South Asian and Muslim community that exist here. 

Can you tell us more about the characters Zoya and Iqra?

Zoya migrated from Pakistan after getting married to her husband Jamal, whilst Iqra came here to study Politics at Oxford University. There's a sweet innocence to Zoya, but she's equally sharp, perceptive and wise. Iqra has more of a feisty and sharp side. Her ambitions are huge, but she holds a surprising frail and fragile side. 

How does the character of Faiza impact the narrative?

I don't want to ruin it for people, so I won't say too much. Zoya and Iqra have different takes on her. Iqra is suspicious of her. Zoya warms to her. But ultimately Faiza will leave a mark on both these women, and their friendship. 

What themes do you explore in the play?

Our show explores the joys of a beautiful friendship, the icy bittersweetness of homesickness, and what it means to migrate to a new country and the sacrifices that come with that. 

How have you found working with director Adam Khan so far?

I've loved working with Adam. He's such a warm, perceptive, and intelligent director, and has been invaluable to me in redrafting the play. I'm so excited by how he's bringing Before the Millennium to life.

What was the first piece of theatre you saw which had a big impact on you?

I remember seeing Things I Know to Be True, which really stayed with me. It felt like a truly theatrical show - I was taken by its magic and poetry, and I left feeling very moved. It made me think about what I want an audience to feel when they see my work. 

What do you hope audiences take away from Before the Millennium?

I hope audiences leave the show feeling seen, and want to seek out their closest friends or family members. I hope that it makes them think about their own memories of 1999, and the cusp of the millennium, and makes them think about the experiences of migrants and the sacrifices they make. 

 

Before The Millennium runs at The Old Fire Station in Oxford from Monday 1st until Sunday 21st December 2025. Tickets are available from https://oldfirestation.org.uk/whats-on/before-the-millennium/