Asif Khan brings his new skateboarding drama home to Bradford

The playwright’s latest work, Sisters 360, paints a nuanced picture of British Muslim life through the eyes of two young girls

When Asif Khan first read about three hijab-wearing sisters skateboarding around Hull, he instantly saw the theatrical potential. “Three girls wearing a hijab on a skateboard just breaks so many stereotypes, not only about Muslims, but also about girls,” he says. 

Their story served as the inspiration for Sisters 360, a new play that forms part of the Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture programme. Aimed at young audiences, the production is filled with emotional depth and focused on two 10-year-old stepsisters, Fatima, who is British Somali and Salima, who is British Pakistani, growing up in Bradford. 

When the offer of a new job makes their mother consider relocating, the girls face being split up: Salima staying with her dad in Bradford and Fatima moving to London with her mum. Determined not to be torn apart, they embark on a mission to stop it, united by their love of skateboarding. 

Khan often places British Muslim characters at the heart of his stories. This time, he wanted to show the everyday, relatable lives of Muslim children without making their religion the central issue. 

“They’re just two British girls, who live in Bradford and have the same dreams as everyone else. They just happen to be Muslim in this story,” he says. 

That nuanced representation is also reflected in Khan’s choice to show a blended, multi-ethnic family. “Muslims come in all shapes and colours all over the world. We exist in different forms,” he says. “I just thought it would be beautiful to include two Muslim girls who are stepsisters, but feel like real sisters.”

The story is told entirely through the eyes of the girls, who are grappling with the adult decisions unfolding around them. While some of the themes may seem heavy for a children’s play, Khan is confident that younger audiences can handle it. 

“We kind of underestimate kids and they really get it,” he says. “There is a scene in there where they are lying in bed and they chat to each other about hearing their parents arguing. We see how they navigate this idea of separation as a family and I think it’s good for parents to come and watch and understand the consequences these issues can have on children.”

Although the play is inspired by real-life skateboarders, the actors do not skate on stage. Instead, Khan worked with a choreographer to bring the energy of skateboarding to life through stylised movement. 

“All the skating is represented like that,” he says. “Within the set, you’ve got the ramps and the half pipe and various things that skateboarders use. It’s all done through choreography.” 

The play has been on a community tour, visiting schools and skate parks around Leeds, and will be performed in Khan’s hometown of Bradford on 29-31 May. Now based in London, Khan continues to ensure that all his productions are staged in the city. 

“About 90% of my work is set in Bradford,” he says. “I imagine myself continuing to set my plays there because there are so many stories. Even though they might be set in this city, they still resonate with people everywhere.” 

Khan is a firm believer in the power of regional theatre to reach new audiences. Touring the play in local schools has allowed children, many of whom have never been to a theatre before, to encounter stage acting for the first time. 

“The three girls who inspired the story came down on the opening night in London and they said they’d never seen a play in the theatre — this was the first play they’d ever seen, and it was about them.”

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Khan began working as an actor, but over time became increasingly frustrated by the narrow portrayals of Muslims in the media. 

What was missing, he felt, was “the voice in the middle — the normal, everyday Muslim person who lives in this country”, the people who “just want to watch TV, play sports and have a family” and pursue a good life, like anyone else. That gap led him to write his debut play, Combustion, in 2017. Though he originally thought it might be his only work, the positive response of audiences and theatres proved otherwise. 

Since then, Khan’s goal has been for his work to show British Muslim life as it really is. “I just want to make Muslims look human again,” he says. “That sounds really weird to say, but that is essentially what I’m trying to do.”

As for what’s next, Khan is juggling a number of projects, including acting in a run of Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons — based on the life of the 16th-century philosopher, theologian and statesman Sir Thomas More — which starts in the West End of London in August. For now, though, he’s thrilled to be bringing Sisters 360 home. 

“I’m really excited about the whole year. There’s a huge art scene in Bradford and so many talented people,” Khan says. “I’m over the moon the play has got this platform — it’s a dream.” 

Sisters 360 will be performed at The Beacon in Bradford, 29-31 May.