Bad Muslim
Written & Performed by Azhar Bande-Ali
Chain Mainstage Theatre | 312 W 36th St. 4th Floor, NYC
April 9, April 13 , April 15 & April 20
Photo Credits - Peter Cooper, Nader Farzan
Theatre festivals are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
The FRIGID Festival reflects approximately 65 shows will run in rep at 5 different venues. Shows will run a bit under an hour. There will be one-acts and bits of longer works in progress; dramas, comedies and musicals.
The comparison to Hasan Minhaj and Mike Birbiglia? Not just valid — earned. Azhar Bande-Ali knows how to thread painful truths with laugh-out-loud humor, and he does it with a quiet confidence that demands your attention. He’s not flashy — he’s intentional. You lean in, and he hits you with something honest, hilarious, and wholly human.
It’s a Wednesday night, 7:40 PM, and I walk into a dark theatre where the music is already vibing. Arab hip-hop fills the space — bold, hypnotic, and deeply diasporic. Tracks like “Tob Tob, Ya Bahar” and “Batal 3alam” pull you into the show’s dreamlike atmosphere before a single word is spoken. I’m a dancer by nature — so yes, I was already in it, swaying like I was at a Trini wedding after two sorrel mocktails and a heaping plate of pelau.
The house was packed — and rightfully so. Word’s clearly out: this show is something special.
The stage is beautifully divided: a stool and suitcase on the right (our airplane), a lush rug and lanterns center stage (universal storytelling space), and a bar setup on the left that feels lived-in. Lighting was subtle but powerful — when Azhar’s voice dropped and he stepped center, I knew we were about to get deep.
The story unfolds during a turbulent flight — a literal and metaphorical moment of reckoning — as Azhar reflects on his identity, his faith, and what it means to be a “bad” Muslim. He structures the piece around the Five Pillars of Islam, not as a lesson, but as touchstones for deeply personal (and often hilarious) storytelling:
Shahada – the declaration of faith: here, it kicks off with a protest and a wonderfully awkward moment that had the whole crowd cackling.
Salah – prayer five times a day: he tries to find a loophole, of course, because... don’t we all?
Sawm – fasting during Ramadan: navigating a Catholic wedding with Eucharist and wine while fasting? Whew. Relatable content for this Indo-Caribbean gal who’s done pujas, seders, and Holy Week in a tight time frame.
Zakat – giving to those in need: while Azhar doesn’t dwell too long here, the very act of sharing this story with such openness and generosity feels like a kind of offering in itself — one that invites empathy, not pity; connection, not conversion.
Hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca: Azhar’s version? A soul-searching trip to the Grand Canyon with a motley crew of travelers. Think spiritual awakening meets group chat chaos (when you want to leave the chat but you can’t…we’ve all been there.).
Throughout, I was that audience member — gasping at the dig at Queens (The World's Borough!), chuckling hard at the reincarnation bit, and bracing myself before the Catholic wedding story unfolded (my Catholic radar was already going off).
Bad Muslim is a loving, generous work. Not sugary. Not sanitized. Loving in the way that truth-telling can be — the kind of show that holds your hand while also asking you to look in the mirror.
As someone who’s also spent time wondering if I’m a good {insert faith here} — let’s just say: I’d rather be bad and real than perfect and performative. It’s progress, not perfection. Azhar Bande-Ali gets it. And I can’t wait to follow where he goes next.
Click HERE for more info.
Review by Malini Singh McDonald.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 16th, 2025. All rights reserved