Bat out of hell: neon mammal fails to eclipse skateboarding duo in Belgrade family comedy.

Polka Sisters. Photo by Tasha Best.

Sisters 360 written by Asif Khan at The Belgrade Theatre from 22 to 23 April.

Review by Amanda Burden.

It isn’t often you encounter a bat in a theatre outside of Dracula. It’s even rarer to find one that looks like it wandered out of a rave, reconsidered its choices, and opted for a new life as a thespian. Yet, this is precisely where we are with Sisters 360.

A day-glo skateboarding bat in the mix immediately signals that we are not in Charles Dickens territory. But while this fluorescent scene-stealer does its best to hoover up attention, it is outperformed by dynamic duo Sara Abanur and Farah Ashraf, who manage to deliver the kind of fizzy, exuberant performances that make you forget there is a neon mammal doing kickflips nearby.

Stepsisters Fatima and Salima. Photo by Tasha Best.

Inspired by real-life skaters the Hijabi Sisters from Hull, the play arrives at the Belgrade Theatre with a premise that feels like a challenge to make theatre engaging for all audiences. Written by Asif Khan, it follows stepsisters Fatima and Salima as they navigate a family breakdown and the daunting prospect of being physically separate, all while chasing their dream of competing in the Tiny is Mighty skateboarding competition and following in the tracks of Olympic skateboarder Hope Brown.

Khan’s script understands the classic children’s theatre paradox: it is “for kids,” yet contains more emotional whiplash than Gemma Collins on the dodgems.  One minute you’re laughing at skate-park banter, the next, you’re staring into the middle-distance sobbing over every sibling relationship you’ve ever had.

For the sisters, skating is not just a hobby, it’s a lifeline. It counters the disembodied voices of the girls' parents as they make life-altering decisions in rooms the youngsters cannot access.

Sisters 360. Vibrant and funny. Photo by Tasha Best.

Fatima and Salima are Muslim, but they are not written as a woke case study. They are simply intense, funny, competitive teenagers, in the best Adrian Mole tradition. The costumes mix hijabs with Nikes and vibrant graphics, underlining the girls'  characters perfectly. Identity isn’t pinned on like a badge; it is functional, unremarkable and utterly relatable in the best possible sense.

Ultimately, even a bat in full fluorescent rebellion cannot eclipse Abanur and Ashraf, who anchor the play’s emotional centre with warmth, clarity and energy. They don’t just tell you the story, they make you feel why it matters.

Which, inconveniently for my natural cynicism, works perfectly. SOB.

See more from the Belgrade Theatre: https://www.belgrade.co.uk/events/sisters-360/