East is East at Citizens Theatre, Glasgow Review
First staged in 1996, Ayub Khan Din's East is East has become a modern British theatre classic. This 30th anniversary production, co-produced by the Octagon Theatre Bolton, Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Wiltshire Creative and Derby Theatre, revisits the story of the Khan family in 1970s Salford, exploring the tensions that arise within a household divided by culture, generation and expectation.
Patriarch of the family George (Bhasker Patel), is determined to maintain the traditions and values of his Pakistani heritage while his English wife Ella (Samantha Power), is just trying to keep the peace as their seven children, influenced by contemporary fashion, music and social customs, find themselves caught between two cultures.
The story centers around George’s ambitions to arrange marriages for his sons Abdul and Tariq - played by Danyal Ismail and Zaki Ali, and the drama that unfolds. Although written in the 90s, many of the themes are still relevant today. The mixed-race children aren’t accepted as English by most of their community, but they also don’t feel Pakistani and rebel against their dad’s traditions and religion - with one of the most humorous examples being sneakily cooking bacon when he is out, and then trying to mask the smell with curry powder.
Despite having humour a plenty, the script doesn’t shy away from the hardship faced by the working class family, including poverty, racism and domestic abuse, and the pre-show announcement advises that the script remains unchanged from the original and contains language and attitudes from the era that were once commonplace but would not be seen as appropriate now.
The cast are very strong with standout performances given by Samantha Power as Ella and Rohan Macleod as Sajit, the youngest child who refuses to take off his parka. Macleod’s physical acting and embodiment of Sajit throughout, even when not the focus of the scene, is really exceptional.
The look and feel of the production feels very 70s thanks to Rachana Jadhav’s creative design. I especially enjoyed the way the set seamlessly transitions between locations and how the cast move through the set, travelling between different rooms without us actually needing to see the physical walls.
There are some issues with pacing, some scenes end quite abruptly and have lengthy scene changes where there isn’t anything to focus on other than the moving set, compared to others where some characters are dancing or playing while the others complete the transition behind them. I think the action could just be a bit quicker off the mark in places to keep the audience's attention and focus.
Thirty years after its premiere, East is East remains a compelling exploration of family, culture, identity and belonging, with themes that continue to resonate with contemporary audiences. Balancing sharp comedy with moments of genuine heartbreak, it captures both the warmth and volatility of family life in a mixed-ethnicity household.
East is East plays at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow until 17 October before continuing on tour to Derby Theatre and Salisbury Playhouse.
★★★★
Written by Kathryn for Theatre and Tonic, October 2026.