October 2019 — January 2020

I Wanna Be Yours

by Zia Ahmed, directed by Anna Himali Howard

Presented by Paines Plough and Tamasha in association with The Bush

Ella is from Yorkshire. Haseeb is from London. They order a pizza. House red for Ella. Hot chocolate for Haseeb.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.”

People and playlists. Christmas and Eid. Travelcards and Megabuses. London to Leeds.

Love is more than just a game for two. Especially when there’s an elephant in the room.

A tender, funny, lyrical play about finding love and holding onto it with everything you’ve got. I WANNA BE YOURS is the debut play from slam poetry champion Zia Ahmed.

Zia is from North West London. He is a London Laureate, having been shortlisted to be the Young Poet Laureate for London 2015/16. He is a former Roundhouse Poetry Slam champion.

I WANNA BE YOURS was developed with support from the Channel 4 Playwrights’ Scheme.

In 2016 we partnered with Paines Plough on Come to Where I’m From London – which invited London playwrights to tell their stories, about the city that shaped them for the first time. We presented a series of events across the city representing North, South, East and West London including a hugely popular piece about Cricklewood from Zia Ahmed.

Dates

Canada Water Theatre

London, SE16 7AR

16 Oct — 19 Oct

Studio 3 Arts

Barking, IG11 7JR

21 Oct

Luton Culture

Luton, LU1 2NG

22 Oct

Rosehill Theatre

Whitehaven, CA28 6SE

24 Oct

Unity Theatre

Liverpool, L1 9BG

25 Oct

Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis

Liverpool, L1 9BG

28 Oct

Ventnor Exchange

Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 1SW

29 Oct

The Old Market

Brighton, BN3 1AS

30 Oct

South Hill Park

Bracknell, RG12 7PA

31 Oct

Trestle Arts Centre

St Albans, AL4 0JQ

01 Nov

The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre

Havant, PO9 1BS

02 Nov

The Key Theatre

Peterborough, PE1 1RX

04 Nov

The Marlowe

Canterbury, CT1 2AS

05 Nov

Phoenix Theatre and Arts Centre

Bordon, GU35 0LR

06 Nov

Trinity Theatre

Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1JP

07 Nov

Electric Theatre

Guildford, GU1 4SZ

08 Nov

Octagon Theatre

Bolton, BL1 1US

11 Nov

Middlesbrough Theatre

Middlesbrough, TS5 6SA

12 Nov

The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury

Oxfordshire, OX16 5QE

13 Nov

Artrix

Bromsgrove, B60 1GN

14 Nov

Derby Theatre

Derby, DE1 2NF

15 Nov

East Riding Theatre

Beverley, HU17 9BE

16 Nov

Cast

Doncaster, DN1 3BU

19 Nov

Norden Farm

Maidenhead, SL6 4PF

20 Nov

The Garage

Norwich, NR2 1NY

21 Nov

Lincoln Performing Arts Centre

Lincoln, LN6 7TS

22 Nov

The Edge

Manchester, M21 9JG

23 Nov

The Continental

Preston, PR1 8JP

26 Nov

Arts Centre Washington

Sunderland, SR6 0GL

27 Nov

Selby Town Hall

Selby, YO8 4AJ

28 Nov

Square Chapel

Halifax, HX1 1QJ

29 Nov

The Maltings

Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ

30 Nov

Bush Theatre

London, W12 8LJ

04 Dec — 18 Jan

Creative and Technical Team

Writer Zia Ahmed

Director Anna Himala Howard 

Designer Mydd Pharo

Composition & Sound Anna Clock 

Lighting Martha Godfrey 

Movement Jenni Jackson

Assistant Director Janise Sadik 

BSL Consultant Rinkoo Barpaga

Company Stage Manager Alice Longson 

Cast

Ragevan Vasan

Haseeb

Emily Stott

Ella

Rachael Merry

BSL Performer

"Electric voltage of young love crackles in beguiling debut play"

  • Evening Standard

"Beautifully crafted debut play"

  • Time Out

"Confident debut play"

  • The Stage