Daytime Deewane
Writer: Azan Ahmed
Director: Sepy Baghaei
Riverside Theatre, Parramatta
October 17-25, 2025
It’s 1997 in London and the scene is set at one of the daytime raves of the time. The attendees, called ‘Daytimers’, are the teenage youth of the British South Asian diaspora. These raves were created to give the young immigrants an opportunity to experience the fun of club life, and to avoid the discrimination they came up against in the mainstream nightclubs.
Writer Azan Ahmed’s award-winning play explores the conflicts experienced by the youth from a very disparate culture – how to satisfy the demands of Asian parents while also becoming good British citizens. Director Sepy Baghaei does a fine job of guiding these two talented young actors through the emotional stages from fun-filled introduction to the more serious issues that beset them.
Sadiq (Ashan Kumar), a university-aged young man, enters wearing the classic windcheater and sneakers (Rita Naidu), moving confidently to the infectious Bhangra-style club music (Deepa Alam). This is the last rave he is organising, and he is there to meet his cousin Farhan (Ariyan Sharma), who soon turns up. Farhan is still in standard school uniform and backpack and is clearly much more reticent socially than Sadiq. His reticence irks Sadiq, who tries to initiate him into club culture – how to look ‘cool’ and how to attract girls. Farhan makes a valiant attempt, putting on a casual jacket and trying out a few awkward dance moves.
However, the boyish fun soon falls away to the discussion of more serious matters. Despite his seeming confidence, Sadiq is uneasy about his life in London and informs Farhan that he has dropped out of university and will be leaving, but does not specify where. Farhan is aghast at this move and queries Sadiq’s family responsibilities, while he himself is bent on supporting the family and is constantly worried about his father’s immigration status, still undecided. He is also horrified when Sadiq offers him a bundle of money to help with his father’s legal defence, as he believes it is drug money (which it is). A violent fight ensues and the cousins part on bad terms.
The trajectories of the two young men in this new culture follow different directions. Given the immense parental pressures to conform, Farhan takes the conservative path – he becomes an accountant, marries and has a family. Sadiq is not heard from for many years – he is not on social media, but Farhan eventually traces him through LinkedIn and the cousins have a happy reunion.
All the action takes place on a club-style dance floor (Brockman), with varied lighting enhancing the changing moods. The music selection, comprised of well-known dance hits of the period, is particularly effective in creating the club atmosphere.
Azan Ahmed’s play is a thoughtful examination of the problems faced by young people moving into a new culture, where neither they nor their parents are yet established – it makes for a very competent and enjoyable piece of theatre.
