Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Themes of 'My Beautiful Laundrette' still relevant, says Kureishi

by LAUREN CODLING

AUTHOR Hanif Kureishi has claimed his critically acclaimed My Beautiful Laundrette is still “relevant to our day and age”, more than three decades after it hit cinema screens.


Kureishi made the comments following the online release of Leicester Curve Theatre’s stage adaptation of his Oscar-nominated screenplay last month. The narrative follows a young British-Pakistani man Omar and his romance with Johnny, a white working-class street punk.

Set in London during Margaret Thatcher’s leadership years, the play explores racism, nationalism and division between different communities. Kureishi said the story’s themes seemed relevant in the current climate. He pointed out the resurgence of the Black Lives Movement in recent months highlighted “how little progress we’ve made”.

“The struggle against racism needs to be renewed every single day,” Kureishi said during a digital discussion with the play’s cast and creative staff last month. “It is not something you can do once and for all – that colonisation, de-colonisation, thinking about Britain, about our history, about who we are, about who we allow in. These questions never go away (and) I would be interested to hear from young people about what they think about what it is like to be of colour in the UK today.”

Admitting that it was “odd” revisiting a script he wrote in his late 20s, Kureishi revealed it was director Nikolai Foster who encouraged him to “revisit the characters and their world”. “What I particularly enjoyed was the idea of doing it live,” the 65-year-old explained. “You never have that experience with a movie as it is the same every night, but seeing the show with a live audience and then having it tour was really exciting.”

Actor Gordon Warnecke, who played Omar in the original film, also returned to the adaptation – but this time as ‘Papa’, Omar’s father. Asked how it was to revisit the script from a paternal role, Warnecke said it was fascinating to return to a story which he had been involved with more than three decades ago. However, he admitted he thought he was being approached to play Omar when initially meeting with Foster and Kureishi.

“After about 10 minutes, I realised I wasn’t being seen for the part of Omar, but for his father, so I was a little bit put off,” he laughed. “But to revisit something I did 35 years ago was very interesting.”

The London-born actor said he did not talk about the original project during rehearsals, but instead approached it with a “fresh perspective”.

There were times when some scenes would trigger memories of his time filming the project in the 1980s, Warnecke revealed.

“At that time, I was about 22 years old so it was going back to 1984 and thinking about what I was like as a young adult then,” he said. “I’m just so happy to have been allowed to come back to this fantastic play and script that Hanif has written.”

Visit www.belgrade.co.uk/stories/watch-onlinemy-beautiful-laundrette to watch the 2019 production of My Beautiful Laundrette.

More For You

Nepal’s new leader pledges to act on Gen Z calls to end corruption

Officials greet newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal's interim government Sushila Karki (R) as she arrives at the prime minister's office in Kathmandu on September 14, 2025. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Nepal’s new leader pledges to act on Gen Z calls to end corruption

NEPAL’s new interim prime minister Sushila Karki on Sunday (14) pledged to act on protesters’ calls to end corruption and restore trust in government, as the country struggles with the aftermath of its worst political unrest in decades.

“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first address to the nation since taking office on Friday (12). “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality. We will not stay here more than six months in any situation. We will complete our responsibilities and hand over to the next parliament and ministers.”

Keep ReadingShow less
UK secures £1.25bn US investment ahead of Trump’s visit

US president Donald Trump and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer arrive at Trump International Golf Links on July 28, 2025 in Balmedie, Scotland. (Photo by Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

UK secures £1.25bn US investment ahead of Trump’s visit

THE British government has announced over £1.25 billion ($1.69bn) in fresh investment from major US financial firms, including PayPal, Bank of America, Citigroup and S&P Global, ahead of a state visit by president Donald Trump.

The investment is expected to create 1,800 jobs across London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester, and deepen transatlantic financial ties, the Department for Business and Trade said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nearly 150,000 join anti-migrant protest in London as clashes erupt

Protesters wave Union Jack and St George's England flags during the "Unite The Kingdom" rally on Westminster Bridge by the Houses of Parliament on September 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Nearly 150,000 join anti-migrant protest in London as clashes erupt

MORE THAN 100,000 protesters marched through central London on Saturday (13), carrying flags of England and Britain and scuffling with police in one of the UK's biggest right-wing demonstrations of modern times.

London's Metropolitan Police said the "Unite the Kingdom" march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, was attended by nearly 150,000 people, who were kept apart from a "Stand Up to Racism" counter-protest attended by around 5,000.

Keep ReadingShow less
Piyush Goyal

Piyush Goyal recalled that in February, Narendra Modi and Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Trade talks with US moving forward positively, says Indian minister Goyal

INDIA’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that negotiations on the proposed trade agreement between India and the United States, which began in March, are progressing in a positive atmosphere and both sides are satisfied with the discussions.

He recalled that in February, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and US president Donald Trump had instructed their trade ministers to conclude the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement (BTA) by November 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
West Midlands Police

West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. (Representational image: iStock)

Woman raped in racially aggravated attack in Oldbury

A WOMAN in her 20s was raped in Oldbury in what police are treating as a racially aggravated attack.

West Midlands Police said they were called just before 08:30 BST on Tuesday, September 9, after the woman reported being attacked by two men near Tame Road. Officers said the men made a racist remark during the incident.

Keep ReadingShow less