A Muslim version of Cinderella makes history as the UK's only Muslim pantomime joining a major panto archive. Cinder’Aliyah: The Great Muslim Pantomime showcased in 2021 with an Islamic twist on the classic fairy tale.
After a successful run and return in 2022, the play joins University of Kent's David Drummond Pantomime Collection, which is country's largest pantomime archive. Cinder’Aliyah will now be part of four centuries of British pantomime history.
A joint effort by charity Penny Appeal and Citizen Khan star Abdullah Afzal, the pantomime was written with a mix of British and Islamic humour. It tells the story of a Pakistani girl trapped by her wicked stepmother and jealous stepsisters Bushra and Shagufta.
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Meanwhile, the King and handsome Prince search the land for a beautiful woman who left her shoe behind at the ball. Creatives behind the play believed the original fairy-tale mirrors the British-Asian experience which audiences could relate to.
Now part of Kent's collection it can be viewed by students, academics and theatre practitioners. It is hoped to inspire future generations of creatives including performers, writers and audiences.
Following it's 2022 tour, items from the show including costumes and promotion posters will be donated to the University of Kent’s Special Collections and Archives, a collection of items preserved and made available as teaching and learning resources. Beth Astridge, University Archivist, said: "We are delighted to receive this donation from this fantastic pantomime to Kent's Special Collections and Archives, to preserve it for the future, and make it available for research and public enjoyment.
"This newest addition will enable us to continue our important work to accurately represent the voices and perspectives of our communities and audiences within our archive collections, allowing us to celebrate cultural diversity and support new research in the history and current performance of pantomime."
Writer and director Abdullah Afzal, best known for BBC ’s Citizen Khan, said: "We're grateful and delighted to be the first Muslim-themed pantomime within this historic collection. Modern Britain is a beacon of inclusivity and diversity, so it only feels right that we should reflect this within our theatre history.
"Cinder’Aliyah is an incredibly light-hearted yet educational take on the classic fairy-tale, and it's great that this will be recorded for generations to come."
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