Community to go on a West Midlands Community Tour

We have loved seeing audiences enjoying Community, the first Rep Original production of 2025, during its two week run with FIFTEEN sold out performances!

We’re thrilled to announce that Community will be heading out on tour to perform in 10 community venues across the West Midlands from Tue 11 – Sat 22 Feb.

Three people sitting together casually on a stage, smiling slightly. The person in the middle is seated higher, on a railing, flanked by the other two. They are dressed in casual, contemporary fashion. — Photo by Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora

Community joins the ranks of several other Rep Original Comedies, such as Withnail and I, Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image Saves The World and Would You Bet Against Us?, to be met with overwhelmingly positive audience responses, with a number of performances completely sold out.

This community tour has been devised to make theatre more accessible for the local community, providing more opportunity for people to see this uplifting new comedy drama, penned by proud Brummie and Rep Foundry alum Farrah Chaudhry.

Tickets will be free or at low cost thanks to the generous support of The Sir Barry Jackson Trust.

Production photo from The Rep's production of Community. Lelya, Zoya and Khalil sit together on a sofa. — Photo by Graeme Braidwood.

All three members of the cast will be reprising their roles from the run at The Rep.

Sabrina Nabi plays the role of Zoya, a pampered young woman from Edgbaston, who is struggling with a lack of purpose and facing the repercussions of being cut off by her parents.

Kerena Jagpal plays Leyla, Zoya’s hardworking and dependable friend who dedicates her time to helping others, and has no time for Zoya’s shenanigans. She lives in Balsall Heath with her charmingly cheerful housemate Khalil, a Syrian refugee, played by Sayyid Aki.

We were delighted to welcome back both Sabrina and Kerena, who have previously worked with The Rep on Sky Comedy Rep (Kerena in 2022, and Sabrina in 2023). Sabrina also took part in the Kali Writers Discovery Showcase in 2024. Community marks Sayyid’s professional stage debut, and it’s been an impressive one at that, commended by audiences and theatre reviewers alike.

Production photo from The Rep's production of Community. Khalil is stood by a microphone, and smiles as he is about to perform his poetry. — Photo by Graeme Braidwood.

Not only is Community funny, heartwarming, and set in Brum, but it’s ALSO been made sustainably. It is one of our Theatre Green Book productions, where we have a strong focus on reusing and recycling materials, costumes and sets, to make the production as environmentally friendly as possible.

For Community, staff from the Rep have contributed a variety of props including shopping bags, oat milk cartons, takeaway containers, and even a frilly pink sleeping mask. The show floor has been repurposed from The Rep’s 2022 production of Tartuffe. For the tour, The Rep will be using an electric van, and will be logging all company travel throughout, to collect data about the carbon footprint of the show.

Tour Schedule

Supported by the Barry Jackson Trust

February

Small Heath Leadership Academy (Tue 11 Feb – School Performance)

Q3 Academy Langley (Wed 12 Feb – School Performance)

Birmingham Settlement (Thu 13 Feb at 7pm)

West Heath Community Centre (Fri 14 Feb at 7pm)

The Old Print Works (Sat 15 Feb at 2pm – followed by walking tour of Balsall Heath with Community writer Farrah and Assistant Director Hamza)

Tipton Muslim Community Centre (Tue 18 Feb at 4pm – followed by a performance of poetry by the TMCC young people)

Wednesbury Library (Wed 19 Feb at 7pm)

Thimblemill Library (Thu 20 Feb at 7pm – followed by post show discussion & Q&A)

Deaf Cultural Centre (Fri 21 Feb at 1.30pm – this performance is BSL interpreted by Harjit Jagdev)

The Legacy Centre of Excellence (Sat 22 Feb at 3pm & 7pm – The 3pm performance will be followed by post show discussion & Q&A)