23rd night of Ramadan

Eleanor Martin

Eleanor obtained a BA Hons. in Drama & English Literature prior to training as a professional actor at Mountview Theatre School. She went on to work in theatre, film and television in Britain and abroad including parts in popular television drama series.

As a founding member of Khayaal, Eleanor has researched, produced, devised, directed, and performed for the Company since its inception. She co-directed and performed in the Conference of the Birds, Khayaal’s award winning debut production and has since played a pivotal role in all of Khayaal’s productions. For four years Eleanor toured Khayaal’s one woman play, Sun & Wind.
Eleanor has worked extensively as a storyteller, performing everywhere from schools to living rooms to a circus top and at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

As an educator she has devised bespoke workshops for Goldsmith University, Shakespeare’s Globe and The British Museum. She is thrilled to be currently laying the foundations for continuous drama education provision for disadvantaged Muslim children through Khayaal’s Drama Academy.

Luqman Ali

Luqman specialised in the
languages (Arabic, Persian and Urdu), literature and cultures of the
Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent. He then spent a decade working
as a linguist, writer and translator before serving for 3 years as
programmes manager for a London-based humanitarian NGO where he raised
funds from European GO’s and NGO’s in order to deliver humanitarian
projects for refugees and displaced persons in the Middle East with DFID
and UNHCR.

In 1997, Luqman co-founded Khayaal, the first
professional theatre company dedicated to the exploration of classic
Muslim literature through contemporary stagecraft as a means of
fostering greater intercultural and interfaith engagement and
understanding..