Khandan (Family) – The Shame Generation
Written and performed by Sid Akbar
Presented by Dhamaka Arts
Every sip of tea takes you somewhere new…
Khandan (Family) – The Shame Generation is a new solo theatre show written and performed by Bradford-born actor, writer and theatre maker Sid Akbar. Presented by Dhamaka Arts, the production blends science fiction, comedy, campness and deeply personal storytelling to explore family, shame, belonging and what it means to survive as a queer British Pakistani person.
Drawing from Sid’s lived experience of growing up queer in a Pakistani Muslim family in Bradford, the show follows “Captain Sid” on a continuing voyage through time, memory and identity. Travelling between his Mum’s cosy kitchen, queer spaces that once felt like salvation, and lonely Manchester bedsits filled with both freedom and uncertainty, The Shame Generation asks what happens when the places and people you longed to escape still live inside you.
At its heart, the show explores the tension between biological family and chosen family. While queer spaces can offer refuge, joy and liberation, they can also carry their own complexities, disappointments and heartbreaks. Through humour, honesty and theatrical worldbuilding, Sid examines the pressure of family duty, generational shame, cultural expectation and the ongoing search for connection.
The project has been developed over several years following the success of Sid’s acclaimed debut solo show Besharam (Shame Less), which premiered in 2023 at Kala Sangam with support from Bradford Producing Hub, Arts Council England and Theatre in the Mill. While Khandan continues themes first explored in Besharam, this new production expands the universe further, embracing sci-fi influences, larger theatrical ambition and a deeper exploration of family, queerness and survival.
The development process for Khandan has involved extensive research, writing, collaboration and rehearsal, working alongside artists and creatives who understand the importance of telling intersectional queer stories with care, humour and authenticity. The show forms part of a wider trilogy of work exploring shame, spirituality, family and queer identity through the lens of British South Asian experience.
Funny, tender and bracingly honest, Khandan (Family) – The Shame Generation is ultimately a story about love. About finding home. About grief, joy, survival and the complicated people who shape us.
A queer South Asian story.
A Bradford story.
Honestly, a bit of everyone’s story.
A sequel to the acclaimed Besharam (Shame Less) — and completely its own thing.
Age Recommendation: 15+
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