جُمْعَة Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers)

While Jumu’ah is no longer a part of our ongoing repertoire, Islamaphobia is still an issue in Australia.

We are pleased to present the show’s accompanying educational resources, now accessible for free, as well as archival footage of the full show, available for a donation.

جُمْعَة Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers) is an original work by ActNow Theatre that premiered in 2021 at DreamBIG Children’s Festival.

Following the relationship between three siblings and their experiences at school before and after a racially charged attack on the youngest sibling that leads to her losing her life; جُمْعَة Jumu’ah unpacks Islamophobia stereotypes and addresses issues of white supremacy, whilst helping to understand white privilege and demystifying the Islamic faith.

Jumu’ah was developed in consultation with members of the Muslim community, with the final piece written by Lur Alghurabi, an Iraqi memoir writer, and Manal Younus, a young Muslim woman of Eritrean heritage and South Australian based writer and performer.

Director’s Note

We are delighted to introduce you to جُمْعَة Jumu’ah (Friday Prayers), a new work written by Manal Younus and Lur Alghurabi. We decided to create this show looking at Islamophobia in Australia, as we felt that we needed to place this ongoing social issue front and centre. It felt super important to make this work.

We hope that some young people will recognise the experiences of the characters in the work and that for others, it will bring a new perspective on what it’s like being part of a marginalised community in Australia. I also hope it demystifies some of the misconceptions relating to Islam and Muslims, and that the audience leave realising that there is no one size fits all of being Muslim.

It’s been an extraordinary journey developing this work with the wonderful artists, especially as it is an issue which affects me directly. I am proud of what we have achieved and I am looking forward to the ongoing conversations that this work inspires.

- Yasmin Gurreeboo

This show has been supported by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the Department of Human Services, and was created in consultation with the Centre for Islamic Thought and Education.