New writing finds its champion in Farnham-based Pursued By A Bear theatre company who celebrate their tenth anniversary with a double bill of new plays at The Mill at Guildford's Yvonne Arnaud Theatre.
The two one-hour pieces from two of the UK's most exciting emerging playwrights are put together in an unusual ethnic mix, linked by themes of immigration.
Under the title Footprints In The Sand, they are For One Night Only by Oladipo Agboluaje an
d Letting Go by Rukhsana Ahmad (May 8 and 9).
Both are directed by Helena Bell, who joined Pursued By A Bear as artistic director about 18 months ago.
"I have always worked with new writing," she says.
"When I came into the job they had already commissioned one of these plays, For One Night Only. Oladipo Agboluaje is a wonderful writer. He is young and up and coming and his dialogue is just to die for. It is so witty and so sharp and it has got great warmth. He is a real playwright."
Born in Hackney of Nigerian descent, he is writer in residence at Soho Theatre and the author of The Christ of Coldharbour Lane.
Now with For One Night Only he is bringing African slapstick to the Home Counties. In the piece, Bode and Eddie arrive at Gatwick via the same dodgy passport service. Finding they share more than just the same new identity they hook up to make their fortune performing at Covent Garden.
Playing with it is Letting Go, a very different piece.
Abbas is haunted by a brother he can't forget and on a cold dark night in Dover he keeps a lonely vigil watching the ships come and go. In the midst of his sorrow the woman who taught him a new language now teaches him a new way to love.
As Helena says: "It's a beautiful love story, very very atmospheric and moody and haunting and on a lovely set.
"People are really enjoying the two. The second piece is very vibrant slapstick comedy. We send them out on a giggle."
Which is the right way round, Helena feels.
"The first piece is something you really want to concentrate on. We have the audience coming in to a soundscape of sea and waves, and they immediately want to concentrate."
Rukhsana Ahmad is the Pakistani former director of Kali Theatre.
Together the two pieces launch the company's three-year plan of work around the theme of immigration and refugees.
Previously artistic director of Alarmist Theatre in Brighton, Helena has more than forty plays to her credit, most of them British premieres first developed through workshops and rehearsed readings.
/blob/ Valentine Hanson plays Abbas in Letting Go and Eddie in For One Night Only. Tosin Olomowowe plays Raza and the Stranger in Letting Go and Bode in For One Night Only. Paven Virk plays Prem in Letting Go and Anu in For One Night Only.
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