‘There’s going to be some changes round here, sugar and TV allowed whenever you want’
Leila is happy living at home with Noor, her loving but traditional grandmother. When Aleena, her fiercely independent mother, returns home from prison determined to deliver a new world of fun and excitement, their calm lives are upended in a blur of nail varnish and sweet treats. Family secrets come tumbling into the light, and Leila finds deciding on her future more difficult than she first thought.
Favour is a touching and hopeful family drama that tackles duty, addiction and the battle of putting yourself back together. Writer of Diary of a Hounslow Girl Ambreen Razia’s remarkable new play, a new Bush Theatre and Clean Break co-commission, tells a strikingly frank story of a working-class Muslim family in a way you’ve never seen before on stage.
Looking for show information and content guidance?
Favour Pre-Show Information
24 June - 06 AugustFrom £12
2, 9, 16, 23, 30 July and 6 AugustFrom £12
6, 13, 20, 27 July and 3 AugustFrom £12
Our ticket prices increase with demand, so book early to guarantee seats at the best price. Click here to find out more.
14+
See the 'Pre-Show information' for more show information and content guidance
Sat 9 Jul at 2.30pm & Thurs 28 Jul at 7.30pm
Thurs 14 Jul at 7.30pm & Sat 23 Jul at 2.30pm
Sat 16 Jul at 2.30pm & Thurs 21 Jul at 7.30pm
Sat 16 Jul at 1.30pm & Thurs 21 Jul at 6.30pm
How to get here, opening times, offers and concessions, and how to hire one of our wonderful spaces.
Donate to help us develop emerging artists, bring new voices to the stage and support our community.
Ambreen Razia is an actress and writer from South London. Her critically acclaimed play The Diary of a Hounslow Girl toured nationally around the UK and was adapted as a BBC Three pilot. Her play POT which focuses on girls in gangs and children in UK care system was published by Oberon books and completed a national tour around the UK in 2018. She co-wrote her short film Relapse which centred around reoffending after prison. Her screenplay Romani Girl was commissioned and produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2020.
Ambreen co-edited the BBC Radio 4 chat show Gossip and Goddesses with Meera Syal as well as being a part of several writers’ rooms. Ambreen was part of BBC writers’ room and on the BBC Talent Hotlist as well as being a member of the Royal Court Writers Group. Recent acting credits include Hounslow Diaries (BBC), Scrapper (BFI/Film 4), Black Mirror (Netflix), This Way Up (Channel 4), Starstruck (BBC) and The Curse (Channel 4). Awards include ‘Best Newcomer’ (Asian Media Awards), Eastern Eye’s ‘Emerging Artist’ award and ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Edinburgh Television Awards.
Róisín McBrinn is Joint Artistic Director of Clean Break. She has over fifteen years’ experience as a theatre director working in the UK, Ireland and internationally. For Clean Break she has directed Thick as Thieves (Theatr Clwyd), Joanne (Soho Theatre and RSC) and House/Amongst the Reeds (Yard Theatre). Amongst others, Róisín has directed for The Abbey Theatre in Dublin (A Taste of Honey/No Escape/ Perve/Heartbreak House), The Gate Theatre Dublin (The Snapper), Sheffield Theatres (Afterplay), Leeds Playhouse (Yerma), The Tricycle (The Field) and as Associate Director for Sherman Theatre (Before It Rains, Sleeping Beauties and It’s A Family Affair). Her awards include the Quercus Award (National Theatre) and the Young Vic Jerwood Young Directors’ Award. She has been nominated for the Irish Times Best Director Award.
Sophie Dillon Moniram was attached to The Old Vic as an Old Vic 12 director in 2018 where she developed new play, Homo Sacer. She has been on The National Theatre Studio’s Directing Course and is a graduate of Mountview Academy’s Theatre Directing MA. Her directing credits include POT by Ambreen Razia (National Tour produced by Rua Arts, supported by Ovalhouse and Stratford Circus); The Diary of a Hounslow Girl by Ambreen Razia (initially commissioned by Ovalhouse, with subsequent National Tours produced by Black Theatre Live & House Theatre, and produced as an audio play for Audible); The Falling (audio piece for Audible/LAMDA); You Bury Me (Staged reading) (The Gate); Uncle Vanya (Guildhall); As You Like It & A Winter’s Tale (LAMDA); Three Sisters (Guildhall); Homo Sacer (Staged Reading) (Old Vic); ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore & Women Beware Women (LAMDA); dirty butterfly (Guildhall); Midsummer Roman Feast (RSC); F**king Outside the Box (VAULT Festival); The Five Stages of Waiting (Tristan Bates Theatre); Indian Summer (White Bear Theatre); Creditors (The Cockpit Theatre); The Star-Spangled Girl (Karamel Club); Purgatorio (Karamel Club); Noah (short play) by Amir Nizar Zuabi (Young Vic Theatre) and several series of short plays written by prisoners (Synergy Theatre Projects). Her productions as Associate/Resident Director include The Greatest Wealth directed by Adrian Lester (Old Vic), The Ocean at the End of the Lane directed by Katy Rudd (National Theatre & Duke of York’s Theatre), The Visit directed by Jeremy Herrin (National Theatre), Myth directed by Kirsty Housley (RSC) and Yerma directed by Simon Stone (Young Vic Theatre & NT Live).