My name is Hadsan Mohamud and I’m an actor and writer from London. I studied Psychology at University and I’ve always been really passionate about mental health. I wrote CRUSH last year whilst I was on Soho Writers Lab and I was shortlisted for their prestigious Tony Craze Award! This year, I took my play to Edinburgh Fringe for a full run at the Underbelly!
CRUSH is a British-Somali romcom about two teenagers who meet at an eating disorder clinic. Najma has been attending for 4 years, Zakariya for 6 months when they meet on this one day by chance. He's into poetry, she's into art and they bond over their shared love of creativity and their experiences of having an eating disorder. The play follows a series of snapshots before and after their sessions and we see their relationship grow and blossom.
For me, CRUSH is a story about friendship, vulnerability and healing and what it’s like to have someone to beside you through the darkest of moments so you feel less alone. It tackles some heavy topics, but there’s lots of comedy in it. Humour has been a way of opening up those conversations and showing that joy can exist alongside difficult experiences.
We also explore what it’s like to have an eating disorder when you come from a Black, Muslim background, including the obstacles Najma and Zakariya face when telling their families and how they navigate Ramadan.
I also play the role of Najma, which has honestly been a life-changing experience. It’s been really cathartic and healing and I know younger me would've been so proud!
I feel like we only see one version of what it's like to have an eating disorder. It’s important that people from minority backgrounds feel represented, so they feel less alone and know their experiences matter too.
Whenever I watch a theatre show, I want to relate to the characters in some way. Najma and Zakariya are both Black and Muslim and they both struggle with eating disorders. Through their stories, we explore how culture and faith affects their recovery.
It’s been beautiful to see people watch the show and share their own stories with me. Some have told me that the play helped them feel seen and affirmed in their experiences, which means so much.
The themes are culturally specific but universal at the same time. We talk about feeling left behind when it seems all your friends have moved on, telling your parents about having an ED, first love, music, books and poetry. There are also lots of pop culture references that people of all ages can appreciate!
I had an eating disorder when I was younger and it was really hard for me. My parents didn’t understand and my friends were confused. They all wanted to help, but they didn’t know how.
I also felt as if this was something that I shouldn’t be going through as a young Black Muslim Woman, because it wasn’t really spoken about around me. I felt the stigmas surrounding ED’s in general, but also the particular difficulties of talking about them within the communities that I come from.
I wanted to explore this but in a sensitively and I didn’t want to assign blame to anyone, instead I wanted to help people understand.
One very beautiful moment for me was to see my Mum’s reaction after my first-ever performance of CRUSH, she cried and was so proud of me.
Creativity, theatre and performing has been a vital part of my own healing journey. They helped me come out of my shell and showed me how powerful art can be. I wanted to put my own experiences in the play but also separate it from me as I didn’t want it to be too close to home.
Najma and Zakariya are fictional, and so is their story, but the experiences of living with an eating disorder are rooted in something real. I think that honesty has resonated with audiences members. When you watch the play, you really route for the characters, and you want the best for them.
It’s been incredible to see how far we’ve come in such a short amount of time. We started off with a work-in-progress show at Somali Week Festival in 2025, then went to Soho Theatre for 2 shows. After 4 sold-out shows are Riverside studios, we took CRUSH to Edinburgh Fringe, and now we’re on tour! It’s honestly been so surreal.
Taking the play to Edinburgh and sharing it with new audiences was definitely an experience I’ll never forget. We were shortlisted for the Sit Up Awards and won Bitesize festival writing award, so I’d say it went pretty well!
But what has stuck with me was the conversations I had with audience members afterwards. Hearing that people connected with the characters and story or they felt less alone, reminded me why I wrote CRUSH in the first place.
Our tour takes us to Bristol, Brighton, Colchester, Leicester, Manchester, Sheffield, Norwich and Southampton! We’ve been so fortunate to take CRUSH to incredible venues across the country.
I want audience members to leave CRUSH with a feeling of hope and to know that they’re not alone.
I hope the play encourages people to be kinder to themselves and to those around them, and to reach out when things get tough. I also hope it helps people respond with more patience and understanding when someone is struggling with an eating disorder.
Eating disorders can be so misunderstood. If CRUSH can help challenge some of that stigma and make these conversations feel a little easier, that would mean so much to me.
We are aiming for a full London run next year! We have an audience waiting for us, which is very exciting, and we hope to come back bigger and better than ever!
Follow @crushtheplay and @shprods_ on Instagram to keep updated with all things CRUSH!
Photos taken by Edward J Felton
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