L to R: Rizwan Mani as Jalal and Ben Yoganathan as Ayub

I saw the opening night of the Belfry’s Behind the Moon last night, written by Anosh Irani and directed by Leora Morris. I was quite moved by this play, which received a standing ovation from the audience at the end. Anosh Irani has written a number of plays, and also a novel. I saw his play Buffoon in Vancouver in 2020, and really enjoyed it. This play looks at the immigrant experience in Canada, in which a young man, Ayub (Ben Yoganathan) is separated from his family, wife and daughter, who have remained in India. We find out that his boss Qadir Bhai (Anand Rajaram) has been abusing him, subjecting him to a kind of indentured servitude. He meets up with a taxi driver, Jalal (Rizwan Mani) who comes in late at night after his shift. Ayub gives him two free meals of butter chicken, and in return, Halal returns with the gift of a beautiful carpet made by his wife.

The play takes some twists and turns, such as when Ayub witnesses a tree outside the restaurant shaking in the wind. The action moves forward at a good pace in this 2 hour play. We discover that Ayub is living at the restaurant, with the owner bringing him some castoff clothing from his son. The set is one of the best I’ve seen at the Belfry in some time, with an authentic sense of being an Indian fast food joint. The sets and costumes were both designed by Anahita Dehbonehie, and I really appreciated the attention to detail. Leora Morris does an excellent job pulling strong performances out of the three-person cast. Ayub does a commendable job navigating the emotional ups and downs of the play. Qadir Bhai plays a subtle villain here, a smooth talker who promises Ayub so much, but fails to deliver on these promises. But it was the taxi driver Jalal who moved me most. His journey from Kashmir to Canada has cost him his family, who have remained behind in India. We find out that he was trained as an architect, but cannot find work in Canada in his profession. So he drives a taxi, quite a comedown from his profession. The play makes some very good points about the risks and rewards of coming to Canada, leaving everything in the past behind.

I won’t spoil the play’s conclusion here, which I found quite moving, as Ayub and Jalal are on their knees praying in front of the rug Jalal has gifted Ayub. The conclusion has a spiritual element that I appreciated. The play runs at the Belfry Theatre until March 2nd and you can find tickets here: https://www.belfry.bc.ca/event/behind-the-moon/

Recommended.