Step into the fantastically imaginative and chaotic world of Planet Omar in our Courtyard Theatre until 25 April.

Tell us about your Playhouse connections.

It feels amazing to be working with Leeds Playhouse on Planet Omar. I spent my early years as an actor in this building, doing various rehearsed readings and three different productions before I moved to London to train as an actor. To come back feels great – and to work with director Sameena Hussain has been fantastic. We have a natural writer/director chemistry, and I really appreciate the way she works with actors in the rehearsal room; very much the way I like to work as an actor. The team at Leeds Playhouse has been very supportive, including Tom Wright, the Artistic Director. I was first approached about adapting Planet Omar in 2019 by Amy Leach, then the Deputy Artistic Director, so it’s been in the works for a long time. I’m very happy that we are finally sharing this stage adaptation with an audience.

As someone who’s originally from Bradford, is there something special for you about your West Yorkshire roots?

My dream of becoming an actor started in Bradford. I spent a lot of time at Theatre in the Mill and the Alhambra Studio. As a playwright, you call on all the memories, feelings and experiences of growing up. All those stories feed into my work. There are so many stories in Bradford. I feel proud to represent the community and develop new stories with Bradford as the landscape – to give Bradford and its people a voice.

Can you tell us more about Planet Omar?

Planet Omar is such an important story for our current times. It’s told through the eyes of an 8-year-old British Pakistani lad; something we don’t see very often. It’s important for young people to see themselves being represented; something I don’t remember having when I was growing up. Zanib Mian, who wrote the novel, created it from her own experience as a British Muslim, but the novel has made a connection with so many kids up and down the country, whether Muslim or non-Muslim. Fundamentally, it’s a story about a boy who moves to a new neighbourhood and school and the different challenges he encounters. He has an extraordinary imagination, and throughout the story he uses this to help him in certain situations – most notably in the company of his imaginary dragon friend.

Why do you think the story is resonating so strongly with audiences in the current climate?

There’s so much fun, humour, and adventure, but it also touches on Islamophobia, which Omar and his family experience in their new neighbourhood. I personally feel that the current level of anti-Muslim hatred is off the scale. I’ve never experienced so much of it in my life. I am affected by it every single day. It constantly shapes the way I feel. I’m a dad, with two young children, and I worry about the challenges they will encounter growing up. This story touches on the effect it has on an everyday British Muslim family and, in particular, an 8-year-old boy who doesn’t yet understand the world fully. I don’t think people understand the effect the last two-and-a-half years has had on the Muslim community in the UK. So, this story is extremely important, and I hope it makes a difference.

You’re an actor (currently playing Akram Malik on BBC Radio 4’s The Archers) as well as a playwright. How do you balance acting and writing?

It’s tricky, but I enjoy doing both. I use different parts of my brain for each one. I wish I was more organised and able to manage my time better, but I do my best. Prioritising is key. If I’m in rehearsals as an actor, I take a break from writing. But once a show is up and running, I normally have the day free and choose to write in the morning when my brain works best. You can achieve quite a lot if you commit to two hours every day.

Tell us about your writing process.

I’m always carrying lots of ideas in my head and I’m currently working on various new plays, all at different stages. Some are ready to go, and some are only a short paragraph on an idea. The writing process takes time. It starts as a seed in your head that grows into a paragraph, then a first draft, then more drafts until you get it into a rehearsal room. And, even then, there are more edits to make as the actors and director provide you with so much when they start working on the script.

What’s next for you?

As an actor, I’m currently filming a powerful and beautiful new film. As a writer, I’m developing some new plays, eager to bring them to the stage soon. I’m also in conversations about adapting my debut play Combustion as a film, and my play Sisters 360 is currently on a UK Tour.