Touchstone Theatre presents Behind the Moon, a play by award-winning playwright and novelist Anosh Irani, March 27 – April 6 at The Cultch, Vancity Culture Lab
Recently named the 2023 recipient of The Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award for his exceptional contributions to Canadian literature, Irani’s newest play is a powerfully moving exploration of human connection, belonging and the immigrant experience.
Set in a Mughlai eatery in Toronto, Behind the Moon delves into the intertwined lives of three South Asian men navigating their migration journeys in Canada. Directed by Touchstone’s Artistic Director Lois Anderson, the play centers on Ayub (Praneet Akilla), the hardworking and lone employee at Mughlai Moon. Under the watchful eye of the restaurant’s owner, Qadir Bhai ( Dhirendra), Ayub devotes himself to cooking and cleaning while holding onto the hope of reuniting with his family still living in Mumbai. One fateful night, Jalal ( Zahf Paroo), a cab driver, walks into the restaurant, sparking a complicated friendship that disrupts Ayub’s delicate world and the buried truths that lie at its centre.
What unfolds is a profound journey through faith, loss, brotherhood, and the struggles of building a new life in Canada.
It’s world premiere, directed by Richard Rose in February 2023 at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre Behind the Moon expands on a character that first appeared in Irani’s earlier works. Celebrated for its humor, humanity, and emotional depth, the production has earned critical acclaim for its vivid portrayal of the emotional and social complexities of migration.
“With Behind the Moon, one of the characters from an earlier play of mine, The Men in White, kept haunting me. Ayub is a version of that character. I was extremely interested in his inner life. Why did he come to Canada? Who did he leave behind? What does he dream of? So, I wrote a short story about him called “Behind the Moon,” which was published in the Los Angeles Review of Books. The deeper I dug, the more he revealed himself. Until, eventually, he showed up on stage, cleaning the glass counter of the restaurant that he works in. If characters refuse to leave me, I just follow them. And listen.” – Anosh Irani
Behind the Moon is the latest collaboration between director Lois Anderson and Anosh Irani, whose past projects include My Granny the Goldfish, Buffoon, and Transcendence. Anderson first encountered Irani when she performed as a puppeteer in his play The Matka King, marking the beginning of a long-standing artistic partnership.
Starring Praneet Akilla (Someone Like You, Arts Club Theatre), Zahf Paroo (Bombay Dreams, Waxman/Williams & TGA Entertainment), and Dhirendra (90 Days, Western Gold Theatre), Behind the Moon runs, March 27 – April 6, 2025 at The Cultch, Vancity Culture Lab, 1895 Venables Street
Find more information and subscription passes for Behind the Moon visit touchstonetheatre.com, ticket also available at thecultch.com