High Street a dark comedy about Malik, a Pakistani newsagent, whose failing shop and restless imagination leave him longing for a way out, arrives at the Bridge House Theatre this September. I chatted to playwright Nida Vohra to find out more.
Can you tell me a little about your show and what audiences can expect?
High Street is a poignant and darkly comic drama following Malik Khan, a Pakistani newsagent whose struggling business reflects a life that has drifted far from his ambitions. As expired stock piles up, deliveries go missing, and competition takes its toll, Malik’s family fears he is losing both his business and his mind. An inventor at heart, Malik has always believed he was destined for something more than life behind the counter.
His closest companion is Terri, a homeless woman caught in the revolving door of temporary accommodation and support services. Determined to rebuild her life, Terri finds comfort in the easy humour and unlikely friendship she shares with Malik. Although their lives have taken very different paths, both are searching for purpose, stability and a way forward.
When Terri presents Malik with a new business idea, Malik sees a chance to escape his circumstances and pursue the success he has always imagined. Together, they embark on a journey that challenges their assumptions about ambition, friendship and belonging.
Audiences should expect a funny, heartfelt drama which explores contemporary Britain through the lives of two unlikely allies.
What drew you to this specific story?
Like many, I noticed the current political rhetoric in the UK often pits immigrants against white working-class people, so I wanted to highlight the shared experiences of these two communities.
The high street in Croydon, where I grew up, was a meeting place for Asian immigrant families like mine and working-class British communities. Racism definitely existed, but people also got along with each other, and a lot of locals formed friendships with people who didn’t look like them. Sharing the same physical space—seeing each other, shopping alongside one another, living ordinary lives together—had a grounding effect.
Many of those same high streets have since fallen into decline. Now they often feel like graveyards of a shared past, where locals had an opportunity to encounter people different from themselves. In that vacuum, it’s easier to become consumed by online scapegoating, outrage, and manipulation.
What has been the biggest challenge in bringing this production to life?
Probably balancing acting, directing, set design and producing. It was really fun to do it all, but challenging to invest time equally into all of it.
How does the design of your show (set, sound, or lighting) impact the presentation of your story?
The newsagent shop counter is pretty central to the set. It’s where most of the scenes take place, which is important because the newsagent is kind of the cornerstone of the traditional British high street, and it’s where Terri finds some kind of safety/refuge.
If you could sum up the show in one word or phrase, what would it be and why?
Connection during a time of displacement. Malik and Terri are both displaced individuals. Malik was displaced from his home country and now a stranger to many in a new one. His family makes him feel like an outsider because he refuses to follow the path they think is right for him. Terri is homeless, which is a chronic form of displacement. And amongst all of this, they are both trying to survive in a country that isn’t serving either of them- newsagents are losing business to larger franchises, and homelessness is at an all-time high in the UK.
But, despite their shared experiences of instability and displacement, their relationship offers a sense of familiarity and connection.
High Street runs at Bridge House Theatre 17 – 19 September, with tickets available here: https://thebridgehousetheatre.co.uk/shows/high-street/
