Inspired by the life of Adam Kashmiry, Adam tells the remarkable story of a young trans man and his struggle across genders and borders to be himself. Originally a National Theatre of Scotland stage play, Adam has been reinvented as a compelling, theatrical on-screen drama.

Once again, Adam Kashmiry performs, as himself, in the leading role. Born into a deeply conservative society, Adam was assigned female at birth but always knew he was a boy. Trapped with no way to describe this feeling, in a place where falling in love with the wrong person can get you killed, he knew he had to escape. What followed was beyond Adam’s wildest dreams – an epic journey for the right to change his body, to the boy he knew himself to be. 

Written by Frances Poet and directed by Cora Bissett and Louise Lockwood, this hour-long drama reworked for the screen focuses on Adam’s isolating experiences in a Glasgow flat while awaiting a decision on his asylum claim. Trapped in a Catch 22 where he cannot prove his need for asylum as a trans man until he transitions but is unable to start transitioning until he is granted asylum, Adam is left alone to wrestle with his conflicting thoughts and feelings.

Adam features a virtual online trans world choir, brought together for the original award-winning stage production. They appear together on-screen singing Jocelyn Pook’s epic choral original score.

The on-screen version of Adam will subsequently be streamed on the National Theatre of Scotland’s website, available on a Pay What You Wish sliding scale from 10.00am Monday 20 June – 10.00am Monday 27 June 2022, and includes a filmed Q&A with Adma Kashmiry, Cora Bissett and Frances Poet. The film will also be made freely available to Scottish schools via the Company’s education portal.

Written by Frances Poet

Directed by Cora Bissett and Louise Lockwood

Produced by National Theatre of Scotland and Hopscotch Films

Commissioned by BBC Scotland and BBC Arts

Winner of BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Television Scripted in 2021.

Production History

Adam first premiered in a National Theatre of Scotland production at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre in 2017 as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Since its award-winning opening run, the production has visited venues across the UK, including a run in London as part of the Battersea Arts Centre’s Phoenix Season, as well as an international engagement at New York’s Skirball Festival in 2019. A one-man version of Adam performed by Adam Kashmiry premiered online at The  Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2020. The screen adaptation of Adam streamed as part of the Arts Emerson, Boston 2021/2022 season from 28-30 January 2022 and by Sydney Opera House as part of its UK/AU Digital Season until 7 March 2022.

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