The Diary of a Hounslow Girl at two London venues
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
WRITTEN and performed by Ambreen Razia and directed by Sophie Moniram, The Diary of a Hounslow Girl will visit Ovalhouse Theatre (May 4 – 6) and Stratford Circus (May 19 – 21, 2016) as part of a national tour.
Described as an acerbic comedy told through the sharp, straight-talking voice of an aspirational 16 year old British Muslim girl, this original work uncovers the typical life of a “Hounslow Girl” – young Muslim women who wear big hooped earrings along with their headscarves.
Ambreen Razia’s witty debut challenges stereotypes of young British Muslim women, exploring the demands of a traditional Muslim upbringing in the face of London’s temptations.
Ambreen Razia offers an astute take on negotiating the hurdles of conservative family values alongside the challenges of teenage life in West London, retelling her experiences from traditional Pakistani weddings to teenage romance with a fast-paced narrative.
The Diary of a Hounslow Girl’s humorous approach seeks to upturn stereotypes and bridge generational rifts with a comic yet resonant approach to present-day dilemmas in the face of age-old tradition.
Speaking about the show, Ambreen Razia said: “As a British Pakistani writer and actress my aim was to create a story based on contemporary characters from my generation, and explore how young people of our generation deal with the different types of adolescent pressures whilst trying to assimilate their foreign identity with their British identity.”
Ambreen Razia is a writer and actress. She has performed at venues including The Old Vic, Ovalhouse Theatre, The National Theatre and has just finished filming with the BBC. Her recent credits include No Guts, No Heart, No Glory (2015), Mind The Gap (2015), After All This (2015) and BBC Three’s Murdered by my Father (2015).
The Diary of a Hounslow Girl is Ambreen Razia’s debut play; originally commissioned by and performed at Ovalhouse Theatre in 2015 as part of their 33% London programme. Ambreen had previously performed The Diary of a Hounslow Girl as a monologue at Triforce’s MonologueSlam UK in 2014.
Director Sophie Moniram is currently working as an Assistant Director at The Young Vic on their upcoming production of Strindberg’s Creditors, and is a Creative Associate at the Gate Theatre. Her past work includes F**king Outside the Box (VAULT Festival) and The Five Stages of Waiting (Tristan Bates Theatre).
Hounslow Girl is the third production from Black Theatre Live, a pioneering consortium of eight regional theatres committed to increasing the amount of Black and Ethnic Minority theatre on the touring circuit. It follows Black Theatre Live’s previous success with Macbeth as well as the recent tour of Pitch Lake Productions’ She Called Me Mother, starring Bafta award nominated actress Cathy Tyson.
Presented by Ambreen Razia with Black Theatre Live, The Diary of a Hounslow Girl has set design by Offie-nominated Petra Hjortsberg; dramaturgy by Neil Grutchfield, the New Writing Manager of the Royal Court Theatre’s Synergy Theatre Project; and lighting by Paul O’Shaughnessy. Independent arts producer is Maeve O’Neill.
Hounslow Girl contains some swearing and is suitable for ages 14+.
To watch trailer visit www.youtube.com/.
Running Time: 60 minutes.
To book tickets for Ovalhouse Theatre, call 020 7582 7680 or visit www.ovalhouse.com/ and for Stratford Circus call 0844 357 2625 or visit stratford-circus.com/.
The tour will also visit Bracknell, Poole, Margate, Birmingham, Artaud Theatre, Brunel University, London (May 23), Bury St Edmunds, Bradford, Lyme Regis, Bristol, Leicester, Peterborough, Hexham, Liverpool and Derby.