PET Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe are joining the production team for the upcoming stage adaptation of Hanif Kureishi’s My Beautiful Laundrette, playing at Leeds Playhouse in October.

The electronic pop duo will create original music to bring the 1980s’ drama to life. “It’s wonderful to be part of the team bringing My Beautiful Laundrette from the screen to the stage and we’ve enjoyed writing mainly instrumental music to be presented within a British Asian context,” say Tennant and Lowe.

Set in London during the Thatcher years, My Beautiful Laundrette tells the story of young British Pakistani Omar, who transforms his uncle’s run-down launderette into a thriving business. After being confronted by a fascist gang, Omar recognises school-friend Johnny and uses their history to diffuse the situation. As they renovate the laundrette together, love blossoms between them. This culture-clash comedy is also a subversive work of social realism, sprinkled with the magic and joy running through the rich veins of Kureishi’s writing.

Playing Omar will be Omar Malik, opposite Jonny Fines as rebellious punk Johnny. Gordon Warnecke, who originally played Omar in Stephen Frears’ 1985 film version, joins the new cast as Papa, Omar’s father. Balvinder Sopal will return to the Playhouse, having starred in Nick Ahad’s Partition last November last year.

This co-production by Leeds Playhouse, Curve, Leicester, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, and Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, will play the Courtyard theatre from October 15 to 26. Box office: 0113 213 7700 or at

leedsplayhouse.org.uk