Sharbat

Sharbat, a new play by Doreshawar Khan who also appears in the show, is a story of being young, female and Muslim in Australia. A story of estranged sisters, of forgiveness and of family, this is a bittersweet story with feel-good overtones.

The Gül sisters are a very different trio. The oldest, Shazia or Shaz, ostensibly devout, married and outwardly bossy, is played with gusto by author Doreshawar Khan. The youngest, a clever bio med student with an edge, Batool “Batty" is powerfully played by Mani Mae Gomes. Caught between her warring sisters is the anxious and conflicted Arooj “Roo”, played with great sensitivity and depth by Sabrina Hafid. While the occasional line feels a little forced, these three create a believable sisterhood and work beautifully together to establish a relationship that, while fractured, appears to go back years.

Played in the Chaos Room, downstairs, a room I have not seen as a performance space before, Kelly Fregon’s set uses the room’s original features to create a believable 1920s era bachelor flat as occupied by Roo. Lovely ring-of-truth detail in this “just moved into” unit, with effective lighting and sound by Mai Han.

While it is great to see a modern Muslim family on stage, and there are issues that are uniquely Islamic - the girls celebrate "Eid-mas", discuss which foods at McDonalds are Halal and the wearing or not of a hijab is sensitively and emotionally explored - this is at heart a show that could be about any family of young women, and would appeal to a broad audience.

A show with great potential that deserves further exploration, Sharbat is an exciting new work that is well worth a look.

Kimberley Shaw

Photographer: Tasha Faye