Edinburgh Fringe 2025
Lucky Tonight!
Afreena Islam-Wright
Genre: Autobiography, Interactive, Storytelling
Venue: The Traverse
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Lucky Tonight! Is an interactive pub quiz-and-storytelling show which uses humour (and a test of your general knowledge) to explore what it means to be British and Bangledeshi in late 20th Century Manchester. It is directed by Julia Samuels, written and performed by Afreena Islam-Wright who, with a lot of trial and error, has worked out how it is possible to be British-ish.
Review
Afreena Islam-Wright is a real life pub quiz host and self-described theatre maker. Here she has put on both hats, sometimes to good effect, in this one-woman show. She introduces us to her powerhouse of a mum, sibling rivalries, a loyal best friend – and boyfriends; the good, the bad and the downright unpleasant.
In a series of sketches, supported by simple visuals, we experience a cosy childhood with a hardworking and prickly mum (herself negotiating how to fit in) and teen years in Old Trafford, trying to be a typical 90’s teenager within two cultures pulling her in different directions. Dangers include censorious big sisters dobbing her in, being bullied for ‘smelling of curry’ and proving yourself by necking way too much vodka. Family holidays to Chittagong, Bangladesh, are evoked as comforting memories, a chance to breathe freely.
Islam-Wright is a great advert for the Monday Quiz Night at her local, skillfully putting her audience through their paces as we use ipads to join in. Through the general knowledge questions asked the quiz is a clever device to provide a context for the story teller’s tale, and is the more successful element of the evening (full disclosure, I won a bag of chillies in a round of Play Your Cards Right).
Islam-Wright is a confident quiz host, less so as a performer of her own script. The story telling element is a little underpowered, and there was an air of diffidence in her narration. At times it was hard to engage, and the switches between two different formats might have something to with that. A minor issue was the use of a hand held mic in these sections; it of course echoes the quiz format but practically it ties a hand up. Islam-Wright opens the show by telling us she is not a performer but story-telling is a performance art. She has created a novel format to share her story, now it needs more stage presence, supported by firmer direction.
Lucky Tonight! is a gently genre-blending night of quiz, comedy, and cultural commentary. Like an actual pub quiz there is a little bit of thinking required but mostly a chance to have fun.
