Guest Presentations

Twenty years of being a “coconut” has caught
up to Nawaaz, who’s crashed into a dual crisis
of identity and faith. Divine intervention sends
him a musical Guru, who guides him on a
journey towards self-acceptance and love.
Directed by Tiffany Wu, bol, brown boy, bol
offers a rich musical landscape merging Indian
classical music with 90s Bollywood nostalgia,
grunge, rap, and hip hop. Weaving storytelling
with the rhythms of tabla, creator and
performer Nawaaz speaks up about the impact
of Canadian racism on his identity and shares
his story of finding his way back to himself.
Winner of the 2024 North (519): Best of
Toronto Fringe Award, bol, brown boy, bol is a
cheeky, heartfelt solo show about Nawaaz's
journey of reclaiming his voice and cultural
inheritance through learning tabla, a northern
Indian percussion instrument.
Come for the story, stay for the chai, leave
feeling seen.
Believed in by Inspirit Foundation’s inaugural
2025 New Narratives Fund.
This production contains references to racism,
discrimination, colonialism, bullying and grief.
Drumming and heightened emotional
expression occur. Additional sensory details are
available in the Access Guide.