Farah Ashraf‘s solo play Pink Rabbit follows eighteen-year-old British Pakistani Amna, who is the polite, modest daughter at home and PersianBaby on OnlyFans, an account her mother knows nothing about. After a run at the Edinburgh Fringe that earned five stars from The Scotsman, along with a Bestie Award and the Shedload-of-Future Fund 2026, it makes its London debut in Soho Theatre Upstairs, directed by Alessandro Babalola. Ashraf tells Red Bus Londinium that she treats Amna’s mother with love and empathy, and that she hopes anyone intrigued by the show’s description or image will come along.
Red Bus: You began Pink Rabbit as a five-minute scratch piece at drama school, out of frustration with how South Asian and Muslim women were boxed in onstage. What did that first version look like, and what has surprised you most about how it has grown?
Farah Ashraf: That version was definitely a lot more centred around Amna’s voice, as through Amna I channelled a lot of what I wanted to say as a writer. With time, she became a lot more fleshed out as her own character, and the other characters in the show were given more of a voice, particularly the character of Ami, her mother. As the idea of what it means to be free and independent, as well as how I felt my identity was going on a journey, the character of Amna and where Pink Rabbit goes also went on a journey.
Red Bus: You describe the play as being about sex but not sexy. How did you decide how much to show and how much to leave to the audience’s imagination, especially in a small room where people are very close to you?
Farah Ashraf: I was always told by media and society what was considered ‘sexy’ growing up, and I struggled to see myself that way. Then, when I started being perceived sexually, it could feel amazing at times, but also uncomfortable or objectifying. The show really interrogates that relationship between sex, sexuality and sexiness, going much deeper into the psychology of it rather than just what we choose to show physically. It’s about the good, bad and ugly of those feelings.
Red Bus: Amna performs a different version of herself for her mother and for her online audience. When you step on stage and speak directly to the audience, which version of Amna are they meeting?
Farah Ashraf: I think she spends the play trying to decide which version of herself she is and wants to be. So much of the story is about what it means to exist as your authentic self but also ‘come into yourself’. At the beginning, she’s given a chance to control the narrative (to an extent) with the audience, and she unravels a little in figuring out which version of her is acceptable to be in that moment.
Red Bus: Your mother in the play is conservative, but the press release talks about intergenerational trauma and not only about a clash. How did you want to treat her, and what do you hope audiences who are mothers or daughters take away?
Farah Ashraf: I wanted to treat Ami with love and empathy, both as a writer and performer. There’s a lot of love between Amna and her mother, but also a lot of conflict, which I think mirrors so many real mother-daughter relationships. I can’t control what audiences take away, but I hope they see the humanity in both characters, even when they don’t agree with them.
Red Bus: Soho Theatre Upstairs is a big step from the Edinburgh Fringe, with tickets from £15 and a 16+ guidance. Who do you most hope will be in the room, and is there anyone you’d like to see who might not usually come to a show like this?
Farah Ashraf: I just hope anyone who reads the show’s description or sees the image and is intrigued comes through, as I’d love to take them on this journey. Diaspora youth, young adults, anyone who is sex positive, anyone who has grown up between two cultures, anyone who spent time running away from a version of themselves or has longed to be their uninhibited self but can’t fully.
Image: Stewart Bywater
Booking details
Show: Pink Rabbit
Venue: Soho Theatre (Upstairs), 21 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 3NE
Dates: Tuesday 24 November to Saturday 12 December 2026
Running time: 70 minutes
Price: From £15
Age guidance: 16+
Book tickets: https://sohotheatre.com/events/pink-rabbit/
Like this article? Please stay around to read my reviews:
- Review: The Bridge, Bush Theatre ★★★★
- Review: Ilford Boy, Donmar Warehouse ★★★
- Review: RENT, Tom Stoppard Theatre ★★★★
- Review: The Cherry Orchard, Harold Pinter Theatre ★★★★
- Review: Affluenza, Riverside Studios ★★
- Review: Space Hamlet, Cockpit Theatre ★★★★
- Review: Aggy, King’s Head Theatre ★★★★
- Review: London City Ballet Double Bill – Firebird ★★★★
- Review: Moment by Moment, Genesis Cinema ★★½
- Lambeth Fringe Review: Happy Hearts ★★★½
- Review: Who Put the Bomp? Tabard Theatre ★★★★
- Review: The Hungry Ghost, Bush Theatre ★★★★
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