Words by Francis Wylde 
Image: Stuart Bywater

5 Stars 

Farah Ashraf’s Pink Rabbit is a powerful, funny and deeply intimate exploration of culture, family, sexual freedom and autonomy. 

Amna is newly 18 and living under the oppressive gaze of her deeply religious Pakistani mother, who desperately wants her daughter to have more opportunities than she had. Around her mum, Amna is a dutiful Muslim daughter. Upstairs in her bedroom, she becomes ‘PersianBaby’, performing exaggerated accents and fake orgasms for men online. 

Torn between the love and safety of her mother and the thrill of being seen and desired by men, Amna is caught in a complicated battle for power and sexual freedom, in a world where her body is monitored, fetishized and instilled with shame. At the heart of it is a young women desperate to be truly seen and accepted.  

The play tackles these difficult themes with nuance and startling honesty. It hits. Hard. But the humour and playful energy of Ashraf’s performance provides lightness and breathing space. She breaks the fourth wall, slips into rhyme and moves effortlessly between comedy and vulnerability, keeping the audience gripped throughout. As a solo performer, Ashraf glides smoothly between characters, giving each a distinct energy while keeping Amna at the heart of the story. 

You do feel the constraints of the one-hour running time. There is so much within the characters and themes to explore, and a longer runtime could allow some plotlines to be more fully resolved. 

Ultimately, I left the show drying my eyes and wanting more. 

Pink Rabbit
Daisy at Underbelly, Bristo Square 
16:15 
5th – 30th August (not 18th)