Review: UNPOPULAR CULTURE, Camden People’s Theatre

“Mummy, what did you want to be when you grew up?” Tahira’s five-year-old asks as they fold laundry together. Tahira, playing herself, realises she can’t remember the last time anyone asked her that question. More importantly, she doesn’t know how to answer it—because she still has so many of her own questions left unanswered.

At its heart, Tahira Dar’s Unpopular Culture explores what it means not to belong. It’s the story of a woman navigating motherhood while reminiscing about—and in some ways mourning—her girlhood. We see Tahira at different stages of her life: as a five-year-old, a twelve-year-old, a twenty-seven-year-old, and so on. As a young British-Pakistani girl, we watch her grow up before us—her love for American television, her passion for Hindi music (despite not speaking the language), and her dream of getting into a prestigious British drama school. These varied facets of her personality leave her constantly questioning: if we don’t fully belong to something or someone, do we belong anywhere at all?

Tahira bravely tackles this question by personifying different parts of her personality, creating characters out of them. Her sense of humour is sharp and endearing, making her instantly likeable to the audience. She’s witty, warm, and incredibly self-aware. However, the sheer number of characters and shifts between them occasionally dilute the tension she works so hard to build.

Tahira also uses multimedia—voiceovers and video footage—to add layers to her story. While these moments offer glimpses of the people who inspired or motivated her, they occasionally pull focus from Tahira herself. One standout moment is when Tahira fully indulges in a dramatic musical number, complete with a fan blowing her hair like a heroine from a vintage film. While it’s humorous, it’s also deeply symbolic—her bravely claiming her space as an artist. We wish she had leaned into moments like this more often instead of relying on multimedia to tell her story.

What’s particularly special about Tahira’s storytelling is how she avoids stereotypes. Each character she plays feels multifaceted, drawn from truthful and authentic experiences—whether facing racism and xenophobia or grappling with the realisation that dreams of becoming an actor might never come true. When Tahira fully commits to these moments, the play comes alive.

The set—a simple living room—is effective, though the show is quite prop and costume heavy, which doesn’t always pay off.

Unpopular Culture makes us question where we belong in life and who we are when what we thought we were meant to be hasn’t worked out. It’s a show for anyone who’s ever felt out of place or struggled to keep a dream alive.

A heartwarming and humorous exploration of identity, belonging, and the dreams we hold onto.

*** Three stars

Reviewed by: Aleeza Humranwala

Unpopular Culture plays at Camden People’s Theatre until 27 November, with further info here.