Insane Asylum Seekers

Creative team

• Laith Elzubaidi

  Writer

  
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  Laith Elzubaidi

  Writer

  Laith Elzubaidi is a British-Iraqi screenwriter, playwright and community organiser based in London. Laith’s Tony Craze Award-winning play Insane Asylum Seekers was produced at the Bush Theatre for a month-long run in May 2025, directed by Olivier Award-nominated director Emily Ling Williams, and is now transferring to the main house of the Bush Theatre in February 2027. The production became the fastest-selling show in the history of the Bush Theatre Studio, selling out its entire run within two weeks.

  He is now developing a TV adaptation of the show with production company The Story Collective. Laith is currently writing a feature film for Imaginarium Productions and is under a seed commission for his latest play with Good Chance Theatre. Previously, he has participated in writers rooms for the BBC’s Bad Education and BAFTA-award winning Crongton.

  Laith is the founder of the British-Arab Writers Group, a collective of over 250 Arab writers based in the UK. The group organises writers’ rooms, industry talks, workshops, and social events, fostering a sense of community and shared growth. Laith’s recent achievements include being selected for the BBC Comedy Collective Supercharged Bursary Scheme, which included a prize of £15k and paid shadowing opportunities on BBC productions’ writers rooms; and winning a bursary at the Screenshot Showcase produced by Sister Pictures and SOTR Productions.

  He also produces the viral online show Food I Can’t Read, where his friend Faz eats food he can’t read. It has inexplicably racked up over 50 million total views since the show’s launch in 2025.

• Emily Ling Williams

  Director

  
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  Emily Ling Williams

  Director

  Emily Ling Williams’ work has been nominated for an Olivier Award and she was the recipient of the 2023 Stage Debut Award for Best Director.

  As Director: No Such Thing As Wolves (Birmingham Hippodrome); Romeo & Juliet (Stratford East); Insane Asylum Seekers, A Playlist For The Revolution (Bush Theatre); Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Ghosts (Polka Theatre); More Ghost Stories by Candlelight (Hightide/ Globe Theatre); Polko (Roundabout); Wasted (Lyric Hammersmith); The Full Works; The Key Workers Cycle (Almeida), text me when you’re home; 5 Plays (Young Vic); The Watsons, Her Naked Skin, Appropriate, The Sign In Sidney Brustein’s Window (RWCMD); Turbines (Paines Plough/ RWCMD/ Gate Theatre).

  As Assistant/Associate Director: Small Hotel (Theatre Royal Bath); A View From The Bridge (Headlong/ Octagon/ CFT/ Rose); The House Of Shades (Almeida); Blood Wedding (Young Vic), The Meeting, The Chalk Garden (CFT), Black Mountain, Out Of Love, How To Be A Kid (Paines Plough/ Theatr Clwyd/ Orange Tree); The Apology, The Island Nation (Arcola).

• Samia Djilli

  Producer

  
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  Samia Djilli

  Producer

  Samia Djilli is a British-Algerian producer working across the subsidised and commercial theatre sectors. She has worked with organisations including Kali Theatre, Tamasha, Shubbak Festival and Zoo Co, where she is currently Producer.

  Alongside Sarah Allen, Samia produced the 2024 Soho Theatre production Vitamin D. She has trained with Stage One, was selected for the Stage One New York Producers Exchange in 2024, and is a current Stage One bursary recipient.

  Her work is particularly focused on championing Arab, SWANA and Muslim stories, supporting artists and productions that broaden representation and bring underrepresented voices to new audiences.

• Sarah Allen

  Producer

  
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  Sarah Allen

  Producer

  Sarah Allen is a producer from Somerset based in London. In 2020, she graduated from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with an MA in Creative Producing. She currently works for ATG Entertainment. 

  Previous theatre work includes Dreaming and Drowning (Bush Theatre), Vitamin D (national tour), Ladyfriends (Hope Mill, Shakespeare North Playhouse), Fame Whore (King’s Head Theatre), All The Happy Things (Theatre503), Drop It R&D (Lighthouse Poole), Acid’s Reign (VAULT Festival 2023).