Non Threatening Boys*: Mawaan Rizwan Wants You To Be Stupid With Him
Words: Rob Corsini | Photographer and Creative Direction: Lewis Vorn | Styling: Thomas Davis | Grooming: Kim Roy | Set Design: Mick O'Connell
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Mawaan Rizwan is so full of energy that even as we speak over Zoom, I sense him jumping between ideas. As soon as one thought is committed to speech, it’s joined by two others shot off in rapid succession – and so, when he lets a statement rest, I immediately take note. “I think the only thing I really fully identify with is being a slippery fish,” he says, pausing for once.
It’s clear that a singular idea of Mawaan is hard to hold onto. He releases music under the moniker MAWAAN; he has a background in stand-up comedy; he’s written for Sex Education as well as shows on CBBC; he’s been in Doctor Who; he’s made documentaries on queerness in Asia: he’s even been to clown school. “I'm a different person to people who’ve seen a different aspect of my work – and I love that,” he muses.