The United States of America is celebrating its 250th birthday and Hamza Beshara, a Bangladeshi American, is throwing a party for his closest friends. They have been mates since their school days and Hamza thinks of himself as one of the boys, but do they think the same? Hamza has never questioned it, until now.
Written, directed, and performed by Arif Silverman, the play observes USA’s sestercentennial by questioning its current politics. In particular, the situation of immigrants and non-white communities. “I was born here, I am American,” Hamza stresses. But he also sees that life is different for him as compared to his white friends.
His parents had moved West in search of a better life, and Hamza knows he would struggle if he had to live in Bangladesh. To him, it is but a faraway country, even if it is where his culture, his language, his music comes from. It is home to his parents, but not to him. Yet, “their home is in your DNA.”
Despite his Muslim, South Asian identity, politically Hamza had thrown his lot with that of his friends – conservative, Republican ideology that took him to Turning Point events, fanboying over Vivek Ramaswamy. But when the very same politics make his friends ice him out, will he be able to handle it?
When this one-man act kicks off, it takes a while to place the character. You realise, slowly, that when Silverman says “you”, he means that you the audience are Hamza. You, as the audience, are complicit in the proceedings, you are the shunned second-generation immigrant fighting with his socialist sister, waiting fruitlessly for his friends. Silverman himself is but your inner voice.
He does a good job of embodying the different characters – Hamza’s sisters, his, parents, his friends – though it does get a tad confusing in heated moments. Lighting by Chiara Bowker is the only addition to the otherwise bare stage, simply but effectively separating Hamza’s memories from his present, and even his phone screen.
The content is powerful and the concept brilliant, though perhaps still in need of some refinement, especially in drawing out the role of the audience.
Reviewer: Savitha Venugopal
Reviewed: 3rd July 2026
North West End UK Rating:
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