Acclaimed poet, writer and singer, Zena Edwards is on tour with “Security”, A one woman show.
It is a comical and moving tale of unexpected friendship which confronts the issue of security and identity through a fusion of performance poetry, hip hop theatre, movement and song. It’s the chaotic stories of four ordinary characters. Four extraordinary people with stories of resilience and evolution. All are exposed through the eye of a camera.
They live in Tottenham and Peckham but their stories could be about any inner city area such as Brixton, Peckham, Stonebridge, Hansworth, Liverpool etc where an emptied street bin is a good days work and blown out cars and full nappies in the road is your regular Monet street painting.
These people have a knack for stepping over the cracks in the pavement and getting home in one piece. In the meantime, they connect with their people, share jokes, eat rubbish food, find the light in the dark. Algernon, Ayleen, Mahmoud and Elijah share a split second of air time in the show, then step off into oblivion, only to be captured here, in cyberspace and in the memories of those who encounter them.
Ayleen is MC KrudeReality
“Security” is a concept that unites what is real and what is imagined. The show is the catalyst. The entire project includes a book, a film, a workshop programme, a forum, a journey – but fundamentally the project was create to inspire a conversation about change. Click here for Zena’s blog to read some of her thoughts and inspiration.
Two of its main characters, Mahmoud and Ayleen, were conceived from a creative writing workshop exercise four years ago. Two years later they were rescued from a ring binder and dusted off. As the show developed, they incubated. And then, another two years on, “Security” was born. What happens when one generation collides with another and cultural expectations clash? Does the flash of a blade in broad daylight mean the end or beginning of Security?
There’s a post show talk too, just to fill you in on the trauma and successes of the journey to the shows completion.
You can catch the show on the following dates:
12 May 09 Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal
14 May 09 The Bluecoat, Liverpool
28 May 09 Arc, Stockton on Tees
4-5 Jun 09 Contact Theatre, Manchester
10 Oct 09 Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham
20 Feb 10 Podium Mozaiek, Amsterdam
The show is written and performed by Zena Edwards. Directed by Anthony Shrubsall. Produced by Apples & Snakes and commissioned by Birmingham Rep in association with BAC. The images above were taken by Clive ‘Kofi’ Allen.
Source: http://zenaedwards.wordpress.com/
The British Theatre Guide – “Convincing, raw performance full of passion and conviction.”
Time Out – “A deeply original, dramatically dexterous portrait of London’s bewildering kaleidoscope of difficult, defiant life.”
Whats On Stage – “An unlimited supply of potent charged poetry, which is moving, relevant, innovative.”