Download or read book The Diary of a Hounslow Girl written by Ambreen Razia and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2017-02-01 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The story of a modern Asian young woman trying to straddle Western attitudes and traditional beliefs. You've heard of an Essex Girl or even a Chelsea Girl but what is a Hounslow Girl? The term has become a byword for confident, young Muslim women who are grappling with traditional values, city life and fashion. From the joys of Pakistani weddings to fights on the night bus, Ambreen Razia's The Diary of a Hounslow Girl is a funny, bold, provocative play highlighting the challenges of being a teenage girl in a traditional Muslim family, alongside the temptations and influences of growing up in and around London. “Ambreen’s writing is poetic in its structure and intensity, funny, moving, chilling, and delivered in a style that takes inspiration from spoken word and physical theatre. She has created a rhythm that draws the audience in, as compelling as a thriller, complete with gathering ominousness, shocks and comic relief.” Deborah Bestwick, Director, Ovalhouse “Ambreen Razia’s terrific play is exactly the kind of new work we wish to support in the new home of multi-cultural theatre in London. Hounslow Girl is a wonderfully funny take on a London phenomenon and one audiences will enjoy.” Jatinder Verma, Artistic Director, Tara Arts” "a powerful piece of theatre... Ambreen Razia's performance is astonishing." BritishTheatre.com "This is a sophisticated, moving and often very funny piece of writing, particularly nuanced in its depiction of Shaheeda's relationship with her mother ... astute in tackling the breakdown of the loving bonds between parent and child that can occur when a child becomes a teenager – and also how this experience can be magnified for the children of first-generation immigrants, whose parents feel distant from their children’s British lives... Razia's script touches on everything from first love to cultural expectations to student-teacher relationships; it’s a bit like an inner-city version of An Education." The Stage Ambreen Razia is an actress and writer from South London. The Diary of a Hounslow Girl is Ambreen's debut show which premiered at Ovalhouse in 2015. Passionate about re-establishing British Asian comedy within the UK, she continues to write her comedy sketch show involving two British Asian girls exploring the clash between traditional Indian/Pakistani culture and modern British life. She is also currently writing her next play POT primarily focusing on the recent comeback of gang culture within the UK. Performance credits include: On the Middle Day (Old Vic Theatre); Words and Women (Edinburgh Fringe); Random Acts (Channel 4); Fair Exchange (Hen and Chickens Theatre); Variations on a Theme (Camden People's Theatre); Mind the Gap (National Theatre); No Guts, No Heart, No Glory (BBC4/Perth Festival Australia) and Murdered by my Father (BBC3).
Download or read book Property and Finance on the Post Brexit London Stage written by Michael Meeuwis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-12-30 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guide to the contemporary London stage as well as an argument about its future, the book walks readers through the city’s performance spaces following the Brexit vote. Austerity-era London theatre is suffused with the belief that private ownership defines full citizenship, its perspective narrowing to what an affluent audience might find relatable. From pub theatres to the National, Michael Meeuwis reveals how what gets put on in London interacts with the daily life of the neighbourhoods in which they are set. This study addresses global theatregoers, as well as students and scholars across theatre and performance studies—particularly those interested in UK culture after Brexit, urban geography, class, and theatrical economics.
Download or read book London written by Nazneen Khan-Østrem and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2021-07-22 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: TRANSLATED BY ALISON McCULLOUGH 'One of the best books on the many diverse migrations to London . . . revealing the extent to which the diversity of immigrant origins has had transformative effects - through food, music, diverse types of knowledge and so much more. The book is difficult to put it down' Saskia Sassen, The Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology, Columbia University, New York 'The ultimate book about Great Britain's capital' Dagbladet 'One of the best books of the year! . . . This is a book about what a city is and can be' Aftenposten Is there a street in London which does not contain a story from the Empire? Immigrants made London; and they keep remaking it in a thousand different ways. Nazneen Khan-Østrem has drawn a wonderful new map of a city that everyone thought they already knew. She travels around the city, meeting the very people who have created a truly unique metropolis, and shows how London's incredible development is directly attributable to the many different groups of immigrants who arrived after the Second World War, in part due to the Nationality Act of 1948. Her book reveals the historical, cultural and political changes within those communities which have fundamentally transformed the city, and which have rarely been considered alongside each other. Nazneen Khan-Østrem has a cosmopolitan background herself, being a British, Muslim, Asian woman, born in Nairobi and raised in the UK and Norway, which has helped her in unravelling the city's rich immigrant history and its constant ongoing evolution. Drawing on London's rich literature and its musical heritage, she has created an intricate portrait of a strikingly multi-faceted metropolis. Based on extensive research, particularly into aspects not generally covered in the wide array of existing books on the city, London manages to capture the city's enticing complexity and its ruthless vitality. This celebration of London's diverse immigrant communities is timely in the light of the societal fault lines exposed by the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit. It is a sensitive and insightful book that has a great deal to say to Londoners as well as to Britain as a whole.
Download or read book Mountains The Dreams of Lily Kwok written by In-Sook Chappell and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-03-23 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A family held together with one lifeline – food. Helen has grown up in the UK, but always felt a piece of her story was missing. Amidst the skyscrapers and bustling streets of Hong Kong, she meets her grandmother, Lily Kwok, and steps into a past of shocking family secrets that will change her life forever. Based on Helen Tse’s bestselling novel Sweet Mandarin, this evocative new play by award-winning writer In-Sook Chappell tells the extraordinary story of the women behind the famous Manchester restaurant.
Download or read book Ada written by Emily Holyoake and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2019-02-20 with total page 63 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Play about Ada Lovelace, the first computer and Artificial Intelligence today. Suitable for schools, colleges and youth groups.Offers good roles for girls/women to perform relating to STEM subjects. “You may turn the handle, and I will whirr and calculate without error!” Decades before the first computers are built, Ada imagines machines that can do anything, even compose beautiful pieces of music. Far beyond Ada’s future, a learning machine called Ginny breaks free of her routine and tests the boundaries of what ought to be possible.ADA is an intricate re-telling of the life and legacy of Ada Lovelace, pioneer of computing, paralleling her history with a contemporary story about the potential of artificial intelligence.
Download or read book Keith or Moliere Rewired written by Patrick Marmion and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2019-02-20 with total page 71 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ... A South African gunrunner turned Buddhist monk. ... A gullible startup millionaire. ... His radical feminist ex wife. ... Their aid worker daughter. ... The young British Muslim she met in Syria. ... An ethical Serbian hitman. And an unstable Brazilian cleaner. Modern Britain. Moral chaos. Total nightmare. A new comedy about life in Brexit Britain, the lies we tell to each other – and to ourselves.
Download or read book Next Lesson written by Chris Woodley and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2019-01-22 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: SHORTLISTED FOR THE POLARI FIRST BOOK PRIZE Next Lesson is a new play by Chris Woodley, about the challenges of growing up gay. In 1988, 14-year-old Michael comes out as gay. Later he returns to the same school as a teacher. In the background: the notorious Section 28 of Thatcher’s Local Government Act, which prohibited schools from “promoting homosexuality” and divided teachers and parents. The narrative of the play spans from 1988 to 2003. Ideal for drama students, colleges, amateur theatre groups, local theatres. Publishing to coincide with LGBTQ History Month, February 2019. Reviews 'How has being queer in the classroom changed over the past thirty years? This informative play is your revision guide. Next Lesson is one school play that you won’t want to miss.' ***** ‘A Masterpiece’ – Gay Times 'Section 28 was one of the most hateful pieces of legislation brought in by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Next Lesson by Chris Woodley looks at the knock-on effects of this legislation in the same school between 1988 and 2006. It’s funny, moving and heartwarming stuff. This excellent play is a great reminder of how fear and oppression can cause untold damage amongst vulnerable teenagers and that with love, honesty and unity we can overcome the curveballs life throws at us.' ***** ‘Incredible’ – attitude 'Definitely worth going back to school for.' **** – DIVA 'The first thing to say about Chris Woodley’s play Next Lesson is that it is very good. An A+, 10 out of 10, top marks, gold star and any other educational phrase that can be applied to 75 minutes of how relationships work: mother to son, teacher to pupil, friend to friend and lover to lover.' **** ‘A+’ –Boyz 'What Woodley has achieved in his debut play is remarkable... Next Lesson is informative without being didactic, telling a very personal story as well as having clarity of the world at large, all the while wearing its heart on its sleeve.' **** ‘Remarkable’ –Female Arts 'Brought in by the Thatcher regime, Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act forbade local authorities from promoting homosexual relationships as equal to heterosexual ones. This hated piece of legislation created confusion and caution in schools, undoubtedly prevented teachers from addressing homophobic bullying, denying lesbian and gay pupils appropriate sex and social education. Chris Woodley’s excellent play charts the education system through those years, creating lesbian, gay and bi characters from both sides of the classroom and staff room.' **** ‘Highly entertaining’ –British Theatre 'This short production touches on a number of key issues that affected countless people within the LGBT+ community (and their loved ones), not just in the wake of Section 28 but throughout history. ‘Next Lesson’ is an educational piece devoted to the examination of this vital part in legal discrimination’s history, and will be eye- opening to many who perhaps did not know about this law and its damaging legacy.' **** ‘Impressive’ –West End Wilma About the author Chris Woodley is an actor, writer, teacher and co-founder of Hyphen Theatre Company. Chris trained as an actor at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. As a writer, his credits include: The Soft Subject (A Love Story) (Assembly Hall), Bedtime Story (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Next Lesson (The Pleasance) and co-writer for My Boyfriend Jesus Christ (Karamel Klub) and When The Lights Went Out At Christmas (The BRIT School). His recent theatre credits include: KATE (Greenwich Theatre), You Should Be So Lucky (Above The Stag), Walking: Holding (The Yard), From Russia, For Love (Theatre Deli), An Enemy of the People (New Diorama), The Gay Naked Play (Above The Stag), This Child (The Bridewell Theatre) and Rainman (Karamel Klub). Television credits include: Extras.
Download or read book Big Foot written by Joseph Barnes Phillips and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2017-10-27 with total page 74 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With grime music and Guyanese folk stories, Joseph Barnes-Phillip's semi-autobiographical story is a comic, tragic and honest portrayal of becoming a man. The story follows Rayleigh as he negotiates the tensions of growing up and taking responsibility – to his pregnant girlfriend, to his sick mother, to his church, to the multi-cultural community he grew up in and somewhere in the mix to himself. When the euphoric highs of teenage life in south London collide with his mum's terminal illness, all Rayleigh wants to do it watch anime in his pants and eat indomie. Love, life and masculinity meet head-on as Rayleigh tries to find his feet, torn between the new girl in his life and being there for his mum, while trying not to make the same mistakes as his dad. About the playwright Joseph’s work as Co-artistic Director for HighRise Theatre and All Seeing Eye has seen him in collaboration with Cardboard Citizens, The Arcola, artsdepot, The Yard, Ovalhouse and more. Joe is also an actor and practitioner who works tirelessly in the community to uplift those around him as well as aiding them in overcoming their personal demons through the use of drama. This passion for helping people has led him into some extremely green pastures, within the last couple of years working as Young Company Director at Orange Tree Theatre, Croydon Council, London Bubble Theatre, Soho Theatre, Centre Point, We are Spotlight and more. About previous work ‘Friendly, funny and frank throughout.’ **** The Stage
Download or read book Split Mixed written by Ery Nzaramba and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2017-11-01 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A dual language edition in English and French. The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world. Back then, Ery Nzaramba was only a teenager and his family’s escape to Europe turned him into a “survivor”. How should he now respond to questions about who he is and where he comes from? In this autobiographical one-man play, performed to acclaim on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the author journeys back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he brings to life nearly a dozen characters, exploring memories of kinship, cultural attitudes and personal identity. Both funny and poignant, the play highlights not only the intolerance that can breed violence and war but also the importance of power and privilege in the struggle for survival. Le génocide au Rwanda a choqué le monde. À l'époque, Ery Nzaramba était un adolescent. Après que sa famille se fut échappé en Europe, il est devenu un «survivant». Désormais, que doit-il répondre à des questions sur qui il est et d'où il vient? Dans ce one-man show autobiographique, salué par la critique lors de sa présentation au Festival d'Édimbourg, l'auteur retourne vers son enfance au Rwanda. Accompagné d'un lecteur cassette, il donne vie à une bonne douzaine de personnages, explorant souvenirs de famille et d'affinités, attitudes culturelles et identité. À la fois poignante et pleine d'humour, la pièce met en lumière non seulement l'intolérance qui peut engendrer violence et guerre, mais aussi l'importance du privilège dans la lutte pour la survie. ERY NZARAMBA Ery Nzaramba left Rwanda to settle in Belgium in 1994. Ten years later he moved to the UK for an acting career. In 2014 Ery started working with director Peter Brook and long-time collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne, featuring in world tours of Battlefield and The Suit. Ery has been awarded two Grants for the Arts by Arts Council England and an Arvon Grant for his writing. He has written and directed short films; Split/Mixed is his first piece written for theatre. He wrote the first draft in 2013 and was invited to perform it in New York, Berlin, and Belfast. The play continued to be developed and its current version premiered to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016. "Every time someone asks where I’m from, it’s a reminder of how lucky and privileged I’ve been. In 1994 Rwanda was in the news for all the wrong reasons. It was being torn apart by a civil war and a genocide. Unlike millions of others who couldn’t, my family escaped. Because we could. And we got all the support in the world because we were "refugees". But were we, really? Would I be able to look in the eye of one of the other millions of Rwandans who couldn’t leave the country and say "I’m a refugee"? I've lived in Europe for nearly a quarter of a century now, and though I’m no longer a refugee, that question has continued to haunt me. So I decided to write Split/Mixed." Praise for his work: "Hilarious, harrowing and acutely moving...[An] essential, coruscating work" −**** The Stage "An extraordinary one-man play (...) Split/Mixed is deeply moving, even harrowing at times. But it is also extremely funny... −www.wordswithjam.co.uk
Download or read book Sleeping Beauty written by Matt Beames and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2018-01-10 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Sleeping Beauty for our times! Role reversal brings a new aspect to a much-loved tale. The world spins and the cycle of seasons turns as the Guardians of the Year gather to tell each other stories. As a new Winter begins it is time to tell another tale... A kingdom is in peril, its people driven to flee their homes as a dark forest covers the land. The King and Queen are missing and Prince Roland, only heir to the kingdom, lies sleeping, cursed never to awaken... All seems lost, and it falls to one young woman with a strong heart, aided by strange companions, to find her way to the castle at the heart of the enchanted forest. Once there, it will take a genuine act of love to break the curse and free the kingdom. A story about friendship, drawing on myth and folklore, Sleeping Beauty is an exciting and enchanting new adaptation of the well-loved story. “A heartwarming tale of friendship and the power of storytelling. Matt Beames has taken the traditional story of Sleeping Beauty and adapted it for a modern audience” Sleeping Beauty - Review 2017
Download or read book The Naturalists written by Jaki McCarrick and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2018-11-08 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the aftermath of The Troubles, two brothers near the border to the North, harbour a guilty secret... “Look, there’s no rules of the road out there. Not any more. So how do ya live? Ya use the only thing ya can. Best compass a man has. Only compass a man has. His own heart.” Set in a rural hamlet in Ireland, the isolated lives of two brothers are disturbed by the arrival of a mysterious young woman. This is a story about secrets, atonement, and how, through the forces of love and nature, damaged lives are redeemed. Reviews “The Pond Theatre Company’s latest production, a world premiere of The Naturalists by Jaki McCarrick, promises naturalistic contemporary drama. It delivers on that promise with a well-crafted family drama defined by the 1979 Massacre at Narrow Water.” Adrienne Sowers, The Reviews Hub “Lovers of Irish theater and down-to-earth naturalism should like this one.” Diana Barth, The Epoch Times “Perhaps unsurprising given the title, the play is striking for its naturalism. Ms. McCarrick’s characters, especially as performed by this outstanding, all-Irish born leading trio, are painfully real and captivating to observe.” Robert Russo, Stage Left “The Naturalists introduces us to Jaki McCarrick, whom we will surely be hearing from again, such is her gift for singular, sharply drawn characters and dialogue with a touch of the lyric about it.” David Barbour, Lighting and Sound America “This is fresh and authentic theater. The direction is deft. The characters capture you quickly; you never doubt them. The script is a glimpse of a moment fraught with all the breakage engendered in the Troubles before, all the specific damage visited on these four people, and all the slim hopes of redemption.” Kathleen Campion, Front Row Center “McCarrick puts all the poetry of the play into Francis. He’s bursting with knowledge about the natural world and has the love of teaching others this as well.” Nicole Serratore, Exeunt NYC “The Naturalists is a compelling look at how one’s “secret” past can suddenly and unexpectedly encroach on the present and delay one’s progress into the future.” David Roberts, Theatre Reviews Limited Jaki McCarrick Jaki McCarrick is an award-winning writer of plays, poetry and fiction. She won the 2010 Papatango New Writing Prize for her play LEOPOLDVILLE, and her play BELFAST GIRLS, developed at the National Theatre London, was shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the 2014 BBC Tony Doyle Award. BELFAST GIRLS premiered in Chicago in May 2015 to much critical acclaim (Windy City Times Critics’ Pick) and opened this spring in Vancouver. The West Coast Premiere of the play opens on November 17th in Portland Oregon. Jaki has also recently been selected for the Irish Film Board’s Talent Development Initiative to adapt BELFAST GIRLS for the screen. In 2015, her plays BELFAST GIRLS, LEOPOLDVILLE and THE MUSHROOM PICKERS (staged at the Southwark Playhouse in 2006 to several 4 Star reviews), were published by Samuel French. Her play BOHEMIANS was read at RADA on January 18th 2017, starring Imogen Stubbs and Rob Jarvis, directed by Tilly Vosburgh. In 2016 Jaki was shortlisted for the St. John’s College, Cambridge’s Harper-Wood Studentship for her short play TUSSY about Eleanor Marx, a piece she is currently developing. Jaki also won the 2010 Wasafiri prize for short fiction and followed this with the publication of her debut story collection, The Scattering, published by Seren Books. The book was shortlisted for the 2014 Edge Hill Prize. Winner of the inaugural John Lennon Poetry Competition, she has also had numerous poems published in literary journals including Ambit, Poetry Ireland Review, Irish Pages, Blackbox Manifold etc. Recently longlisted for the inaugural Irish Fiction Laureate, Jaki is currently editing her first novel and a second collection of short stories called Night of the Frogs. Screenplay projects also include adaptations of her short story Hellebores and her first play, THE MUSHROOM PICKERS. She has held numerous residencies including Writer-in-Residence at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris & also regularly writes arts pieces for the Times Literary Supplement (TLS), The Irish Examiner and other publications
Download or read book Does My Bomb Look Big in This written by Nyla Levy and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-07-11 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yasmin Sheikh feels torn in the city she used to call home, but Aisha sees a different London to her best friend. When Yasmin suddenly disappears to Syria, Aisha embarks on a mission to uncover the truth and decide whether there is any hope in Yasmin's new-found world. First conceived in 2016 after being cast in roles as a 'jihadi bride' or 'terrorist girlfriend' and generally dissatisfied with the narrative being told, Nyla Levy ran research workshops with school children and interviewed muslim community leaders as well as terrorism defence solicitor Tasnime Akunjee. The result voices the complexities of the choices made by disaffected youth, their vulnerability, and how the decisions made can changes lives, communities and countries forever. With fierce wit and disarming honesty, Does My Bomb Look Big in This? cleverly unveils a human story behind the headlines and questions how close or far we are from multicultural harmony.
Download or read book Blackbirds written by Simon Startin and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2019-03-28 with total page 55 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mayflower Street runs between Jamaica Road and the Thames in Bermondsey, South London. In 1939, 34 houses and 121 residents occupied the street. Between 1940 and 1941 bombs fell on 7 of these houses and at the end of war, the street – with its corner shop, was demolished. Using personal testimony, physical theatre and the combined skills of a cast of contemporary Londoners the project aims to share some of the experiences and events that made our city into the place we know today. Blackbirds is the play that emerged from the London Bubble Theatre's research and interviews of South Londoners who lived through the Blitz between 1940 and 1941.
Download or read book Does My Bomb Look Big in This written by Nyla Levy and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-07-11 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Yasmin Sheikh feels torn in the city she used to call home, but Aisha sees a different London to her best friend. When Yasmin suddenly disappears to Syria, Aisha embarks on a mission to uncover the truth and decide whether there is any hope in Yasmin's new-found world. First conceived in 2016 after being cast in roles as a 'jihadi bride' or 'terrorist girlfriend' and generally dissatisfied with the narrative being told, Nyla Levy ran research workshops with school children and interviewed muslim community leaders as well as terrorism defence solicitor Tasnime Akunjee. The result voices the complexities of the choices made by disaffected youth, their vulnerability, and how the decisions made can changes lives, communities and countries forever. With fierce wit and disarming honesty, Does My Bomb Look Big in This? cleverly unveils a human story behind the headlines and questions how close or far we are from multicultural harmony.
Download or read book Slam Speeches written by Katie Redford and published by Olcan Press. This book was released on 2019-06-03 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A versatile collection of monologues written by 8 writer / performers who all share one thing in common; they've all successfully written and performed their pieces at TriForce's Monologue Slam. Due to the writers being from a variety of different backgrounds, there are a vast range of perspectives for performers to explore. Between them, as both writers and performers, they have a wealth of TV, film and theatre experience and are passionate about writing monologues that not only connect with a performer but with a diverse audience too. Whether you're auditioning for Monologue Slam, drama school or for any other showcasing opportunities, this book offers a mix of heart-warming, witty and gripping speeches for you to get your teeth into.
Download or read book The Marvellous Adventures of Mary Seacole written by Cleo Sylvestre and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2021-12-15 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mary Seacole was a medical practitioner from Jamaica whose fame rivalled Florence Nightingale's during the Crimean War. Her offer to volunteer as a military nurse was refused, but Seacole travelled to the Crimea nevertheless, where she tended the wounded both on the battlefront and at the 'British Hotel'. In this acclaimed one-woman play, the true story of Mary Seacole is brought vibrantly to life, revealing how this fearless medical practitioner used traditional remedies to treat the sick and wounded, challenged racism in high places and won the hearts and minds of those she helped across the globe. Considered the greatest of all Black Britons, discover why and how she came to be so highly regarded, although she was an immigrant and a woman of colour in Victorian England. REVIEWS “You brought the spirit of Mary to life.” – Zoe Gilbert, Florence Nightingale Museum “Thank you for such an excellent rendition of Mary. It was truly brilliant.” – Clive Soley “Be prepared, Cleo Sylvestre will transport you back to the Victorian age and leave you thinking that you had actually met Mary Seacole.” – Dame Elizabeth Anionwu CLEO SYLVESTRE Theatre: Cleo made her West End debut in Wise Child by Simon Gray with Sir Alec Guinness for which she was nominated Most Promising New Actress. She then went on to be the first Black British actress to have a leading role at the National Theatre in The National Health by Peter Nichols followed by seasons at The Young Vic including tours to Broadway and Mexico. She has performed in a wide range of theatre productions including touring with Northern Broadsides and Oxford Playhouse. For twenty years until June 2016, Cleo was joint Artistic Director of the award-winning Rosemary Branch Theatre. Film: Cleo was in Ken Loach’s films Cathy Come Home, Up The Junction and Poor Cow and has acted in numerous tv shows from Grange Hill, to presenting Playschool, and guesting in the Christmas 2020 special of All Creatures Great And Small. She made several shorts for Isaac Julien including Vagabondia (Turner Prize shortlist), was in Kidulthood and Tube Tales (dir. Jude Law) and Paddington. In 2019 Cleo received the Screen Nation Trailblazer Award. Music: Having made a record with the (then unknown) Rolling Stones while at school, she recently returned to her first love, music, forming the blues band, Honey B Mama & Friends, who have appeared at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Ealing Blues Festival among many other venues.
Download or read book Homing Birds written by Rukhsana Ahmad and published by Aurora Metro Publications Ltd.. This book was released on 2019-11-29 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reversing the usual refugee story clichés, Homing Birds shares the hopes, fears and aspirations of a young man searching for a place in which he feels he truly belongs. Young Afghan refugee Saeed desperately wants to reconnect with his roots and find his long-lost sister. So he leaves his adoptive family in London and returns home to Kabul to work as a doctor, eager to contribute to rebuilding a new Afghanistan. But as past and present collide, Saeed must face up to the reality of his changed world. This captivating and evocative play asks if a place can ever be home without a connection to family and roots? RUKHSANA AHMAD Award-winning writer Rukhsana Ahmad has written and adapted many plays for stage and BBC Radio. River on Fire was a finalist in the Susan Smith Blackburn Awards, Wide Sargasso Sea was a finalist for the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Radio Adaptation and Song for a Sanctuary was a finalist for the CRE award for best original radio drama. Other plays include Mistaken: Annie Besant in India and Letting Go. She has also written fiction: The Hope Chest and The Gatekeeper’s Wife and other stories. She has also translated We Sinful Women, a collection of contemporary Urdu feminist poetry and The One Who Did Not Ask by Altaf Fatima. REVIEWS OF PREVIOUS WORK “... the debates about belief and faith are clear and compelling and the play also bravely grapples with big spiritual ideas...” – Aleks Sierz, theatre critic “... sensitive approach gives painful credibility to the dilemmas facing women with nowhere else to go.” – The Independent
