Planet Omar – Unicorn Theatre, London

Writers: Asif Khan, after the book by Zanib Mian

Director: Sameena Hussain

Planet Omar is a delightful show. Eight-year-old Omar may be a‘trouble magnet’, as the subtitle has it, but he has a big heart and a zany imagination. Early in the story, he moves with his family from Whitechapel to a bigger house in Harrow, where he and his big sister Maryam start at a new school. Remaining at home is Isaar, their baby brother, embodied by a charming puppet. At school, Omar is instinctively drawn to Charlie, who becomes his loyal friend.

Early scenes at home and at school are swiftly and effectively suggested by simple shifts of scenery. It’s all brightly coloured and cheerful, as Omar shins up laddered wall bars while a family table swivels to become the teacher’s work station. The scenes are often vibrant and funny, with lots of physical comedy and some entertaining puppets for the creatures of Omar’s imagination. The friendly orange dragon is particularly likeable.

But at school, Omar lives in fear of Daniel, a bully. And it is through Daniel that Omar first encounters racial prejudice.

It is shocking to hear primary school children articulating such destructive slurs as Boris Johnson’s comparison of Muslim women in burkas with ‘letter boxes’ and ‘bank robbers’. Beyond this, innocent Omar hears rants insisting Muslims ‘go home’. He is puzzled by this. He was born in London. Where is this ‘home’? His more knowing teenage cousin tells him they’ll ‘all get sent back to Pakistan’. Omar doesn’t share his worries with his parents, but we sense the corrosive effect of constant verbal abuse.

Meanwhile, their next-door neighbour, the elderly Mrs Rogers, rejects their offers of friendship. It’s a neat way of showing in miniature the sort of prejudices such a family might encounter.

It all hots up on a school outing to the Science Museum when Omar is forced to pair up with Daniel, and the two of them get lost on the underground. Omar is the brave one, comforting the now despairing Daniel and promising to get them help. Emerging at the wrong tube station, he suddenly recognises the London Central Mosque, and there’s a happy scene where the pair are warmly welcomed inside and helped to get home.

Behind the fun, we learn a lot about Muslim beliefs and practices. What Muslims do during the month of Ramadan, the fasting and the evening meal, are all explained. There’s a funny bit where Omar pesters his father to let him fast too. He gets off to a good start, but needless to say, it’s not long before he is desperate for food. Meanwhile, the relationship between the family and Mrs Rogers has thawed (they helped her when she was taken into hospital), and she happily joins them for their nightly iftar feast.

Justin Kendal-Sadiq is exceptional as Omar, his boyish enthusiasm shining through his performance, and Aizah Khan is winning as his affectionate mother. Umar Butt is not just Omar’s dad, but his 13-year-old cousin in Leeds. Emaan Durrani similarly shape-shifts. One moment she’s Omar’s sophisticated teenage sister, the next she’s the truculent Daniel. Joanna Holden plays both the teacher and the elderly neighbour with equal zest. The imaginative set, costumes and puppets are the work of Nikki Charlesworth.

Planet Omar, adapted from Zanib Mian’s book by Asif Khan, runs for nearly two hours. It’s a bit of a stretch for a young audience, but they clearly adore the final Eid celebrations, where they cheer and clap, many dancing in their seats.

Runs until 7 June 2026