Queer Muslim love takes centre stage in We Can’t Be Friends
Writer Abir Mohammad speaks with Gay Times about the play challenging misconceptions about Islam and queer Muslims.
Following a sell-out reading at Tara Theatre’s South Asian Play Reading Group and becoming the fastest-selling sharing at Riverside Studios, We Can’t Be Friends is heading to Brixton House as part of its Housemates Festival 2026.
Written by Abir Mohammad and directed by Melina Namdar, the play is “an intimate, tender story about faith, queerness, and the cost of living truthfully in a world that demands you choose.”
We Can’t Be Friends follows Azhar, a devout Muslim training to be a teacher, and Rahim, an openly gay Muslim who is estranged from his family. Grantchester star Ayan Philip will portray Azhar, while Spotlight Prize 2026 screen finalist Saqib Bashir takes on the role of Rahim.
The production has already sparked significant interest ahead of its theatrical run, with content around the play attracting hundreds of thousands views on TikTok and drawing interactions from What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén, Love Island’s Shakira Khan and the Royal Court Theatre’s Artistic Director and CEO David Byrne.
