My main man Hanif Kureishi reflects on the twenty-five years that have passed since his play “Borderline” was staged. HK is on the money in his comments on the trap of radical Islam and the continuing relevance of radical rehearsals:

By the 1990s, political theatre was dead. It had come to seem crude as a device for explaining the world, or for bringing news from unexplored parts of the country. But in this age of mendacity, deception and violence, there is the need, once again, for public debate about contemporary issues. Political theatre can be quick, immediate and adapted to changing circumstances, unlike most films.

(Hat-tip, Naeem Mohaiemen.) (Also check out Pickled Politics for links to discussions on British Asian politics.) (Through Project Muse you can read an interview that I did with HK for Transition Magazine.)

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