A woman writer dares to boldly go where few men have gone before

Photo: Isha Shah

Daniel Nelson

Remember the shocking scandal of the gangs of predatory men, mostly British Pakistanis, who sexually exploited girls in Rochdale and Rotherham at the turn of the century?

What controversy it provoked. Anger and racism were two of the commonest reactions, with politicians and pundits pouring vitriol on the flames.

But did you ever wonder about how the mothers, daughters, sisters and aunts of the guilty men felt? It’s a touchy, tricky topic, but playwright Emtiaz Hussain has taken it on.

The result is Expendable at the Royal Court Theatre. 

Her play doesn’t tackle the issue head on, in the sense that no clearly guilty man is on stage, but this is a complex, emotional subject and a short play,m even Ione as well-written as this, can deal with only a portion of the horror.

It focusses on two sisters, Yasmin, a principled 44-year-old activist who wants to confront injustice and prejudice by whoever it is committed, and Zara, who is afraid a past action might lead to accusations of complicity in the actions of some predatory men and is fearful of a racist backlash against entire British Pakistani community.

Their differences in approach are heightened by the views of Zara’s two children, fiery but impressionable teenage Sofia and stunned son Raheel.

One of the odd side-effects of the set-up, which is acted out in Zara’s refurbished kitchen, is that though Raheel has been named in publicity about the crime, we are led to believe he is innocent. That in turn means the only target of suspicion on stage in a play about the impact of male depravity is a woman.

Even in the few sentences I have written, you can get an impression of the dangerous currents swirling around the household, and by extension, the community.

So hats off to Hussain, the cast, the production, the theatre for going where few have dared to tread, and scratching away at a sore that needs air to heal.

* Expendable, £15-£25, is at the Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square until 21 December. Info: Expendable