'Ain't I A Woman?' (July 2024)
Nominated for 3 Black British Theatre Awards 2024!
- Best Production - Play 2024
- Best Producer 2024 - Landé Belo
- Best Director 2024 - Landé Belo
And won Best Producer 2024! Details here
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much”..."
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much”..."
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much”..."
"…No woman has ever written enough.” – bell hooks
'Ain’t I A Woman'? inquired 19th-century US abolitionist Sojourner Truth, in her famous 1851 speech at the Women's Rights Convention, in which she powerfully exposed the dual impact of racism and sexism. A century later, in 1981, writer bell hooks borrows this title for her seminal feminis
"…No woman has ever written enough.” – bell hooks
'Ain’t I A Woman'? inquired 19th-century US abolitionist Sojourner Truth, in her famous 1851 speech at the Women's Rights Convention, in which she powerfully exposed the dual impact of racism and sexism. A century later, in 1981, writer bell hooks borrows this title for her seminal feminist theory book, which explores the intersection of racism and sexism on black women.
Decades later, in June 2023, Landé Belo, an artistic director at Tower Theatre in London, UK, launched a search for new and aspiring black female writers to transform the question 'Ain’t I A Woman?' into short plays designed to highlight the dual challenges of racism and sexism faced by black women. Using powerful narratives the plays inspire, educate, and unite audiences through a heartfelt exploration of the complexities and triumphs at the intersection of race and gender.
5 engaging short plays
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much”..."
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much”..."
'Ain't I A Woman?' explores the complex intersection of race and gender. From a London casting room to a dystopian future, a sci-fi mystery to a TV studio, each play skilfully offers a unique perspective on the experience of being black and female in contemporary Britain.
'2037: The Burden' of representation weighs heavily on Fin as she f
'Ain't I A Woman?' explores the complex intersection of race and gender. From a London casting room to a dystopian future, a sci-fi mystery to a TV studio, each play skilfully offers a unique perspective on the experience of being black and female in contemporary Britain.
'2037: The Burden' of representation weighs heavily on Fin as she faces an invidious choice: self over cause? 'Nicki Takes A Breath' and prepares to pander to a lazy trope as this will open doors for her…or not?…..Will Ngozi actually resort to self-inflicted grievous bodily harm and succumb to the physical and metaphysical “whitewashing” promulgated by 'Changing Rays'? 'Mary, Queen of Thots' optimistically ventures into digital dating….the perfect antidote for her self-loathing and depression….meanwhile, Tiwa exposes the insidious impact of the economic crisis on her world and wonders why we are not all 'In Conversation' about this or don’t we care…?
Excellent feedback!
“No black woman writer in this culture can write “too much”..."
Excellent feedback!
Sold out 7/11 performances!
Reviews include:-
“...highlights the fact that if we wish to live in healthy societies, it’s crucial that we hear everyone’s voice.” (Peter Doré – FORM Idea)
“....a reminder that it is we, the village, that is responsible for our own children’s stories; our history; and our own theatre.” (Mike Scott-Harding – Afridiziak)
Play 1: 'Changing Rays'
Play 2: 'Nicki Takes A Breath'
Play 2: 'Nicki Takes A Breath'
By Mauricia Lewis
Directed by Eileen Gbagbo
"Labelled the angry black woman whenever I challenge the status quo."
Enter the world of Changing Rays where willing participants can undergo treatment to change their skin colour from black to white. Will Ngozi finally get the acceptance and recognition she craves by undergoing this treatment?
A dystopian satire offering a strong social commentary on western conventions of beauty standards and the pervasive impact on the black psyche.
Play 2: 'Nicki Takes A Breath'
Play 2: 'Nicki Takes A Breath'
Play 2: 'Nicki Takes A Breath'
By Sara Amanda
Directed by Lydia Newman
"Be your idea of you and not the idea of you they want you to be."
Nicole (“Nicki”) and Adenike (“Nicki”) will do anything to clinch their dream role: Nora in A Doll’s House. Just one thing, this Nora needs to be “ghetto”……
Play 3: 'In Conversation'
Play 2: 'Nicki Takes A Breath'
Play 4: '2037: The Burden'
By Eileen Gbagbo
Directed by Landé Belo
"We’re not going anywhere until you get my name right."
Who better to wax lyrical about managing personal finances than expert Dr Tiwa Sowunmi-Smith and what better platform than TV show, Inside Money in front of a live audience? If only the host will let her get a word in edgeways….
Play 4: '2037: The Burden'
Play 5: 'Mary, Queen of Thots'
Play 4: '2037: The Burden'
By Rukiat Ashawe
Directed by Landé Belo
"They always want us to be “strong”, the one who everyone else depends on."
It’s 2037 and the beginning of the end for The Movement. After valiant resistance in a 20-year war, they have been decimated by a deadly virus released by the other side.
Their survival hangs in the balance and their leader, Fin, has a very difficult decision to make…
Play 5: 'Mary, Queen of Thots'
Play 5: 'Mary, Queen of Thots'
Play 5: 'Mary, Queen of Thots'
By Katrina Smith-Jackson
Directed by: Landé Belo
"But if prayer’s the answer to ‘hashtag winning’...where’s my Academy Award at, Lord?!"
Sick of rejection being the theme tune to her love life, Mary decides to bite the bullet and give dating apps a go. Yet throwing herself head first into the deep end of messy love (and even messier sex) as a depressed Black zillennial definitely has its “kinks”...race play fetishes to name one!
But as touch starvation and swipe addiction begin to wash over her, will Mary sink or swim in the murky waters of the digital dating pool?
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