English-language theatre in Tashkent: Script Theatre brings British comedy to the stage
Script Theatre, an independent amateur company in Tashkent, is staging English playwright Ray Cooney's farce 'Out of Order' entirely in English at Human House; every performance has sold out, yet the project has not reached break-even.
In Tashkent, the independent amateur company Script Theatre is staging English playwright Ray Cooney's comedy 'Out of Order' entirely in English. The company performs at Human House, creating a space for English-speaking audiences in the city.
About the play
'Out of Order' is a 1990 farce by English playwright Ray Cooney. It won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 1991. The plot is built on a chain of misunderstandings: each attempt to conceal a mistake creates another problem, new characters keep entering, and the situation grows increasingly absurd.
Who performs
According to director Abdurashid Yakubov, the cast members are not full-time professional theatre actors. They include lawyers working for international companies, finance professionals, university lecturers and people from other backgrounds. After their working day they gather to study their roles and prepare for performances. Preparing 'Out of Order' took roughly six months. The company also studies theatrical approaches associated with Stanislavski, Chekhov, Meyerhold and Vakhtangov.
Why English
Yakubov says Script Theatre was not created because Tashkent lacks a theatrical tradition, but because the city lacked a consistent independent platform for theatre performed in English. The theatre aims to bring together English-speaking Uzbek residents, students, young professionals, international specialists, foreign residents and visitors. Performances are generally positioned for audiences aged 16 and above.
Tickets and finances
The company promotes its productions mainly through its website and social media; even so, every performance so far has sold out. Yet, according to Yakubov, even sold-out performances have not brought the theatre to break-even. Productions require spending on costumes, decorations, props and stage furniture. Yakubov credited Human House and Lola Safi for providing a space.
What is next
Script Theatre is still at an early stage: its first public premiere took place in August 2026, and it will mark its first anniversary in February 2027. The October 10 performance was its fourth. Rehearsals for the next play began in September, and the company hopes to premiere it around the New Year, though the title has not been disclosed. Its longer-term ambition is to stage an Uzbek dramatic work entirely in English for an international English-speaking audience.
