The story of a man who falsely posed as a doctor for 30 years is the inspiration behind a new play produced by Theatre in the Mill, an arts organisation based on the University of Bradford campus.
Muhammed Saeed treated thousands of patients from the practice he ran in Darfield Street, Manningham, Bradford, but he was not medically qualified.
He prescribed one patient suffering from a cold with shampoo to be taken twice a day. Another was prescribed a substance similar to creosote [normally used to preserve timber] to treat toothache.
‘Teaspoon of Shampoo’, from Theatre in the Mill, based on the University of Bradford campus, is a dramatisation based on Mr Saeed’s life.
Written by Dr Shabina Aslam, Artistic Director at Theatre in the Mill, the play, performed on campus from Wednesday 5 March to Saturday 8 March, follows the recording of a true-crime podcast inspired by this true story.
It features dramatic recollections of key moments in Mr Saeed’s life, known as Dr Muhammed Saad in the play. At the end of the production, the audience is asked to decide if its main character was ultimately innocent or guilty.
Mr Saeed was finally exposed in 1990 and a subsequent police investigation discovered he had taken on the medical qualifications of a Pakistan-based doctor who shared the same name.
He was jailed for five years in 1992 after being convicted of four charges of obtaining pay by false pretences and property by deception. He died in 2003.
Dr Aslam, who grew up in Bradford, was told about the story by a family member in 2020 and then researched archive newspaper coverage of the 1992 trial, initially writing a short story based on the case before the new play.
Dr Aslam said: “I could not believe that I had stumbled on such an amazing story. I spent hours researching it.
“I originally wrote it as a short story for myself, but I got it published as a ‘zine and then I thought it was a really good opportunity to turn it into a piece of theatre. The play is a South Asian feminist perspective of the story.
“The play is inspired by true events. It is a dramatisation. It shows him in different ways including arrogant and falling apart. The audience is offered different views of one character. The play looks at the doctor as a fallible human being.”
The production sees community collaborators from Manningham supported by practice-led research from the University of Leeds, including researcher, Dr Rob Eagle. The performances follow workshops with community and professional actors, which were held last year.
Theatre in the Mill is classed as a National Portfolio Organisation by Arts Council England, one of around 800 across the country. Its status means it is recognised as making a significant contribution to the local and national arts scene.
‘Teaspoon of Shampoo’ will be performed at Theatre in the Mill from Wednesday 5 March to Saturday 8 March, from 19:30 with a matinee performance from 14:30 on the final day.
