Author: Jasmine Naziha Jones

Hassan Abdulrazzak, of Iraqi origin, was born in Prague and lives in London. His first play, Baghdad Wedding (2007) was staged in London and broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The Prophet (2012) was based on extensive interviews in Cairo with revolutionaries, soldiers, journalists, and cab drivers. Dhow under the Sun (2015), with 35 young actors, was staged in Sharjah, UAE. That same year, Love, Bombs and Apples premiered at the Arcola Theatre as part of the Shubbak Festival. And Here I Am, the life story of a Palestinian fighter turned artist, was also part of the 2017 Shubbak Festival. Abdulrazzak interviewed ex-prisoners and experts in immigration and criminal law for The Special Relationship (2020). He recently finished on a musical about the arms industry. He holds a PhD in molecular biology and currently works at Imperial College London.

Jasmine Naziha Jones’ debut play Baghdaddy was described as a “devastating coming-of-age story, told through clowning and memory to explore the complexities of cultural identity, generational trauma and a father-daughter relationship amidst global conflict. Congratulations! Your pain is commercially viable.” British Iraqi, Jones is an accomplished actor, who among her 9 television appearances has been in Call the Midwife and Idris Elba’s sitcom Turn Up Charlie. She has also performed in 27 theatrical stage productions, eight films, and over 30 radio plays. Jones, who is good at stage combat, also sings, and can perform in a variety of accents, from American-Standard and Scouse or Liverpool English to Middle Eastern and Southern African, among many others. Baghdaddy was a Sister co-production, part of an initiative to bring more diverse voices to the Royal Court.