The Khan Family

East is East is a dark comedy set in Salford, England in 1971. It centres on the Anglo-Pakistani alliance of the Khan family.

The play opens with the youngest member of the Kahn family Sajid, being pursued by his father George after a visit to the mosque. It seems that Sajid’s circumcision was inadvertently overlooked and his ‘condition’ is now causing his father great embarrassment with the mullah. As George tells Ella this must be dealt with, Sajid hides in the coal shed.

In the next scene we hear the other Khan children at the family chip shop discussing their father and the deceits that are maintained under his very nose; Saleem pretends to be studying engineering although he is at art school, Tariq uses an English name Tony when he is out of the house. Only Maneer is sympathetic towards his father. ..