A British Subject
From: Wednesday, 2nd November 2011
To: Saturday, 26 November 2011
Our Review: 
Your Reviews:
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Synopsis
[Nichola McAuliffe[ stars in A British Subject at the Arts Theatre this autumn.
A British Subject is the true account of how Daily Mirror journalist Don Mackay became the first journalist to interview Mirza Tahir Hussain during his time on death row, breaking the story to the British press. After meeting Tahir and hearing of his plight to gain freedom a close bond developed between the two, leading the reporter and his wife, Nichola McAuliffe, to become deeply involved in the case.
Mirza Tahir Hussian is the British man who was finally released on 17 November 2006 after spending a total of 18 years on death row in Pakistan for the murder of a taxicab driver named Jamshed Khan in 1988, a crime which Tahir claims he committed in self-defence, as Khan pulled out a gun and tried to sexually assault him. In the ensuing struggle, the gun went off, fatally injuring Khan. In 2006 Daily Mirror journalist Don Mackay got a visa to visit Pakistan by pretending to be a cricket-mad lawyer.
On arrival Don used his visa to visit Tahir in prison and on death row for the disputed murder of a taxi driver. The exclusive interview inspired Don to pursue the case publicly with Don and wife Nichola phoning everyone they knew and a few people they didn’t in the race to free Tahir before he was sentenced to death by hanging.
Arriving in London after a hugely successful run in New York and the Edinburgh Festival, A British Subject is an extraordinary true-life tale of international politics and the media colliding with justice, civil liberties and ultimately, faith.
Nichola McAuliffe first achieved fame for the Granada Television comedy Surgical Spirit, as the 'other woman' in the show Pig in the Middle and between 2001 and 2002 she also appeared in Coronation Street as a love interest of Ken Barlow. She was awarded the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1988 for her performance in Kiss Me Kate.
Our Review:
Michael Coveney - 7 November 2011
You might suppose that a hot new play about injustice in Pakistan and investigative journalism in Britain would focus on cricket corruption and phone-hacking.
But Nichola McAuliffe’s British subject is Mizir Tahir Hussain from Leeds, who was imprisoned on death row in Rawalpindi for 18 years after killing a cab driver within 24 hours of arriving “home” from Yorkshire.
The play was a hit at the Pleasance during the Edinburgh Festival two years ago, and Hannah Eidinow’s production now comes up sharp and kicking at the Arts.
McAuliffe repeats her delicious, sly performance as herself, a touring, slightly bitchy actress praying to St Jude (patron saint of lost causes) while her real-life crime reporter husband, Don Mackay (played by an impassioned David Rintoul in a permanent alcoholic sweat), smuggles himself into the prison to land a Daily Mirror exclusive.
At the short play’...
Latest User Review
Louise FLood - 11 November 2011:
Absolutely Brilliant. If you've worked in Fleet St you will thorougly enjoy this play....
Creative
Nichola McAuliffe (Author)
Hannah Eidinow (Director)
Christopher Richardson (Design)
Tom Lishman (Sound)
Mark Jonathan (Lighting)
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