We bring together artists and audiences of different faiths and secular affiliations....

 
 

....to harness and mobilise the inclusive energy of shared story in order to connect hearts and foster greater intercultural and interfaith dialogue, understanding and engagement between Muslim communities and the wider world.

Over the past 26 years, Khayaal has developed a strong reputation as the first dedicated producer of professional English language theatre inspired by Muslim heritages and cultures. Khayaal is forging a new genre and brand of cross-cultural theatre whose formula of wisdom and humour has won it popular and critical acclaim nationally and internationally. 

 

  • To celebrate and contribute the rich aesthetic, artistic and literary traditions of Muslim cultures to mainstream popular culture;

  • To develop new audiences for the performing arts within Muslim communities and new audiences for Muslim literature, art and culture in wider society;

  • To promote inter-cultural dialogue, engagement and understanding by demonstrating reconciliation between East and West, the traditional and the modern, and Muslims and people of other faiths and traditions;

  • To assist in developing cultural capital and currency for Muslim communities that will facilitate greater and more inclusive socio-cultural stakeholding and integration and challenge Islamophobia and extremism from all quarters.

Company Directors

Luqman Ali: Artistic Director 

Luqman specialised in the languages (Arabic, Persian and Urdu), literature and cultures of the Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent. He then spent a decade working as a linguist, writer and translator before serving for 3 years as programmes manager for a London-based humanitarian NGO where he raised funds from European GO's and NGO's in order to deliver humanitarian projects for refugees and displaced persons in the Middle East with DFID and UNHCR.

In 1997, Luqman co-founded Khayaal, the first professional theatre company dedicated to the exploration of classic Muslim literature through contemporary stagecraft as a means of fostering greater intercultural and interfaith engagement and understanding. He adapted and produced Khayaal’s award-winning debut production, Conference of the Birds, in London in 1998. He went on to pioneer the adaptation of the works of an array of Muslim litterateurs as well as folktales from African, Arabic, Turkish, Chinese, Persian and Urdu cultures, staging these works at The Globe’s Shakespeare and Islam Season (2004) and at The British Museum’s critically acclaimed Hajj Exhibition (2012) and its Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World launch events (2018) as well as in theatres, corporations, schools and communities throughout the UK and beyond (Morocco, Pakistan, Sudan, Switzerland, UAE and USA).

Luqman is currently working to nurture an inclusive humanitarian discourse of story and dream in Muslim communities and between those communities and wider society through Khayaal’s national on-demand Theatre-without-Walls programme that includes themed adaptations of wisdom tales from Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Sikhism #HilfAlFudul while also developing the company’s next medium scale production exploring the intersection of Britain and Islam in the story of coffee.

Luqman served as the founding convening adviser of Amal and is currently a trustee of the organisation. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an alumnus of the Windsor Senior Strategic Leadership Programme.

Eleanor Martin: Associate Director 

Eleanor obtained a BA Hons. in Drama & English Literature prior to training as a professional actor at Mountview Theatre School. She went on to work in theatre, film and television in Britain and abroad including parts in popular television drama series.

As a founding member of Khayaal, Eleanor has researched, produced, devised, directed, and performed for the Company since its inception. She co-directed and performed in the Conference of the Birds, Khayaal’s award winning debut production and has since played a pivotal role in all of Khayaal’s productions. For four years Eleanor toured Khayaal’s one woman play, Sun & Wind.
Eleanor has worked extensively as a storyteller, performing everywhere from schools to living rooms to a circus top and at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

As an educator she has devised bespoke workshops for Goldsmith University, Shakespeare’s Globe and The British Museum. She is thrilled to be currently laying the foundations for continuous drama education provision for disadvantaged Muslim children through Khayaal's Drama Academy.

Mo Sesay: Associate Director  

Mohammed Sesay trained as a professional actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. In his career, Mohammed has played leading roles in theatre at the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe, in TV; ‘Soldier, Soldier’, ‘Holby City’ and ‘Eastenders’ and in film; ‘Bhaji on The Beach’ and ‘It’s A Wonderful Afterlife’, directed by ‘Bend it Like Beckham’s’ Gurinder Chadha, to name a few. Mohammed is also a freelance director and writer for theatre and film and has several projects in development. He is a founding member of Khayaal, played the lead role of the Hoopoe in its debut, Conference of the Birds, and has written, directed and performed for the company over many years. Mohammed currently teaches Acting Technique at some of the UK’s leading drama schools, including LAMDA, Rose Bruford and Fourth Monkey training both B.A. and M.A. students.

Board of Directors

Rehana Mughal 

Fahim Qureshi 

Galib Virani 

Patrons

Dr. Peter Clark

Prof. Nabil Matar

Mr. Rory Stewart OBE FRSL MP

Staff and Volunteers

Mohammed Ali

Yusef Ali

Moriam Grillo

Maryam Hussain

Bela Romer

Maryam Shaharuddin

Abbas Shah

Awards & Commendations

  • American Folklore Society Aesop Accolade 2019

  • Community Interest Luton Arts Award 2018

  • European Union Theatre-in-Education Best Practice Case Study 2010

  • DCLG Community Leadership Award 2008

  • Muslim News Alhambra Award for Excellence in Art 2000

Testimonials

“The wonderful play we have just enjoyed, based on the wisdom of Jalaluddin Rumi, should remind us that it was the Sufis - the living spirit of the Islamic tradition - who preached God’s mercy, His gentleness and beauty. The Sufi texts deliver the message of ‘Ihsan’ or ‘doing what is beautiful’, the antithesis of the message of hate and intolerance spread by terrorists. I suggest that we could all, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and even atheists, return to those texts with profit and humility.”
— HM King Charles III on 'Four Mystics and a Merchant' 2002
“Khayaal Theatre Company brought a colourful and creative dimension to our annual conference, distinctive from and yet complementary to our other sessions. Their high-calibre performance brought the stories to life, engaging our audience with them in a new way, while the post-show conversation offered a valuable opportunity to explore the role of the arts in interfaith and intercultural encounter.”
— Presence & Engagement, Church of England on Christian-Muslim Storytelling 2018
“I am writing to thank you for asking me to host last week’s performance of ‘Hearts and Minds’ at Westminster Central Hall. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and felt that it offered a powerful insight into what it means to be Muslim in Britain today ...

... Art can be a real force for change and can provide opportunities to tackle really difficult issues. Through your work, Khayaal Theatre is facilitating these important discussions and reaching out to a wide range of people. I am really pleased that we were able to support you to do this and I wish you every success. I am particularly looking forward to seeing some of the other plays that you are currently developing!”
— Sadiq Khan on Hearts & Minds 2009 (formerly MP and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, now London Mayor)
“A triumph! Foot-stomping joy from beginning to end!”
— Tom King
“Front line stuff!”
— Yusuf/Cat Stevens
“The performance is unlike anything I have seen, a new experience.”
— Anon aged 14, Pontefract
“Khayaal Theatre Company is to be applauded for emphasising the progressive, humanistic and tolerant aspects of Islamic culture that are, shamefully, rarely presented in the mass media.”
— Tom Mellen, The Morning Star on ‘Tales from Muslim Lands
“Khayaal remind us that the oral tradition is alive and kicking, and that these ancient stories can still show us how to live.”
— Lyn Gardner, the Guardian on ‘Tales from Muslim Lands
“… These principles combine to produce a moving and humorous play …The play is careful in its approach to depicting the hearts and minds of young people: each character is complex and untypical … an imaginative response to a complex issue of pressing importance.”
— Dr Jenny Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Applied Drama on ‘Hearts & Minds’ in Performance in a Time of Terror, Manchester University Press 2012
“The service was very good and delivered to schedule. … It is difficult to suggest changes to Khayaal’s service. We would simply encourage them to continue with the high quality, engaging and important work that they are doing.”
— Nicholas Badcott, British Museum on the package of performances and drama based workshops that we contributed to the critically acclaimed Hajj Exhibition 2012
“Thanks for showing us the human face of Islam!”
— Colin Hall, Head of Performing Arts, Luton Sixth Form College
“I’m getting in touch to express a heartfelt word of thanks on behalf of the British Museum for your wonderful performances during the Celebrating the Islamic world weekend event. It was wonderful to witness so many diverse audiences enjoying the performances, many of whom have passed on excellent feedback about them. They really were an important aspect of the programme, and key to its success.”
— Freddie M., The British Museum on Muslim Heritage Stories 2018

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