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White terror

3/10/2006

BEING chained to a radiator in an orange Guantanamo-style suit and having your throat cut for a finale would test the stamina of any actor.

But Rochdale-educated Marc Anwar says the experiences, though draining, has been one of the most vivid of his acting career.

Pakistani-born Marc, who arrived in the UK aged 10, plays Saleem, an unfortunate Muslim man who is abducted as he leaves the mosque by two crazed white brothers Viv and Chippie in the play Orange which has just finished a successful run in Cardiff.

The brothers imprison their victim in their flat and embark on a mad scheme involving exchanging Saleem for a kidnap victim in Iraq.
It goes wrong and the drama ends with Saleem's death by near decapitation.

Said 45-year-old Marc, who was a pupil at Balderstone High, Rochdale: "Being in this play has re-enforced to me what is happening to Muslims all around the world.

During the play Saleem is treated very badly and as a Muslim actor I have felt his humiliation but at the end of the play I can get up and walk away. But what about those who can't?"

The two kidnappers in the play parallel the characters of Bush and Blair and Marc sees his own character as representative of misunderstood and abused Islam.

The play has just finished its run to packed audiences at the Arts Centre, Cardiff.

Back home Marc will continue his work with a charity Markaz-Al-Huda (Centre of Guidance) which he set up with the aim of countering negative portrayals of Islam.

The charity has its own premises and soon Marc hopes to establish a library and film facilities there.

He said: "I want it to be used by Muslim's and non-Muslims alike. There have been some very negative portrayals of Muslims in the media.

Islam is a peaceful religion and most Muslims respect this. We are being marginalised because of radicalists. I want people to know about the religion in a positive way, without the paranoia the media and politicians push on people."

Marc has had a busy acting career appearing in many stage plays as well as TV productions including Emmerdale, Dalziel and Pasco and Holby City.