Hanif Kureishi’s seminal film-turned-play of the same name is bold but with baffling execution.

Set during the Thatcher years, the play follows Omar (Chadwick-Patel) as he transforms a run-down laundrette owned by his ambitious uncle, Nasser (Darweish), while struggling to care for his drunken father (Gordon Warnecke, who played Omar in the original film). Before long, he sparks a romantic interest with Johnny (Mitchell), a member of a fascist gang who begins assisting Omar with the laundrette, whilst challenged by his racial loyalties, terrorising the Pakistani characters. The play ambitiously aims to explore a lot of issues – but it fails to explore any of them adequately.

Music by the Pet Shop Boys encapsulates the queer 80s vibe whilst still feeling relevant. Grace Smart’s stunning set design easily transforms from a run-down laundrette into the titular beautiful laundrette, and even a nightclub – with Ben Cracknell’s neon lighting design bringing the story and each scene to life. The costumes have great attention to detail (yes, the fascist gang leader wears docs with red laces), and the overall design of everything on stage is dazzling – but the adaptation has problems.

The play tackles an abundance of gritty themes and topics, but it throws them all into a washing machine for a quick rinse, without uncrumpling any of them. Some of the characters came across underdeveloped to the point of caricature, and ultimately the play itself fails to adequately explore its own politics. My Beautiful Laundrette has the potential to be a great adaptation, but the characters seem to navigate the plotlines better than the production does. Sadly, it fails to live up to the acclaimed film.

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