Peaceophobia

If ‘Islam’ comes from ‘peace’, how can you fear peace? 

Peaceophobia is an unapologetic response to rising Islamophobia around the world. Part car-meet part-theatre, the show explores how you find peace in a world that tells you who you are.

Growing up in the shadow of the Bradford Riots, 9/11 and police harassment, cars and faith are a sanctuary, an escape, an expression for three Muslim Pakistani men. Ali, Sohail and Casper are taking control of the narratives around their religion, their city, and their cars.

Staged in a carpark with a Supra, a Golf and a classic Nova, Peaceophobia brings together cars and theatre with cinematic lighting and an original electronic sound score.

Conceived in Bradford and co-directed by young women from Speakers Corner Collective and award-winning theatre company Common Wealth, co-written by acclaimed playwright Zia Ahmed and Bradford Modified Club, in co-production with Fuel.

Common Wealth and Fuel are running an interactive workshop called My Story, My Way for young people in connection with Peaceophobia. To find out more, click the link below.

My Story, My Way Workshop

They will also be running a second workshop called Cars DIY, a practical workshop in car modification and maintenance. To find out more, click the link below.

Cars DIY

‘An ambitious, accomplished, immersive production that intersects community, culture and cars’ – The Stage ★★★★

‘a rare – and often funny – peek into the psyches of British Muslim men and a shocking reminder of what two decades of Islamophobic media coverage and government policy has delivered’ – The Guardian

Peaceophobia is supported by Without Walls, Bradford 2025, Co-Creating Change, Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Pears Foundation, and Fenton Arts Trust. The R&D for Peaceophobia was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund.

Co-Created by Common Wealth, Speakers Corner, Bradford Modified Club
Written by Zia Ahmed with Mohammad Ali Yunis, Casper Ahmed, and Sohail Hussain
Performed by Mohammad Ali Yunis, Casper Ahmed, and Sohail Hussain
Directed by Evie Manning, Iram Rehman, Sajidah Shabir, Rosema Nawaz, Mariyah Kayat, Madeyah Khan, and Maleehah Hussain
Designer Rosie Elnile
Sound Designer & Composer Wojciech Rusin
Lighting Designer Andy Purves
Associate Designer & Inflatables Creator Rachel Schofield Owen, Soft Tissue Studio
Choreography Support Lloyd Thomas and Himani Bhardwaj
Voice Actors Merch Husey, Liz Simmons and James Lewis
Production Manager Rachel Bowen
Graphic Designer Robert Scargill
Videographer & Video Editor Jack King