October 2019 — January 2020
I Wanna Be Yours
by Zia Ahmed, directed by Anna Himali HowardPresented 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 7AR16 Oct — 19 Oct
Studio 3 Arts
Barking, IG11 7JR21 Oct
Luton Culture
Luton, LU1 2NG22 Oct
Rosehill Theatre
Whitehaven, CA28 6SE24 Oct
Unity Theatre
Liverpool, L1 9BG25 Oct
Marine Theatre, Lyme Regis
Liverpool, L1 9BG28 Oct
Ventnor Exchange
Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 1SW29 Oct
The Old Market
Brighton, BN3 1AS30 Oct
South Hill Park
Bracknell, RG12 7PA31 Oct
Trestle Arts Centre
St Albans, AL4 0JQ01 Nov
The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre
Havant, PO9 1BS02 Nov
The Key Theatre
Peterborough, PE1 1RX04 Nov
The Marlowe
Canterbury, CT1 2AS05 Nov
Phoenix Theatre and Arts Centre
Bordon, GU35 0LR06 Nov
Trinity Theatre
Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1JP07 Nov
Electric Theatre
Guildford, GU1 4SZ08 Nov
Octagon Theatre
Bolton, BL1 1US11 Nov
Middlesbrough Theatre
Middlesbrough, TS5 6SA12 Nov
The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury
Oxfordshire, OX16 5QE13 Nov
Artrix
Bromsgrove, B60 1GN14 Nov
Derby Theatre
Derby, DE1 2NF15 Nov
East Riding Theatre
Beverley, HU17 9BE16 Nov
Cast
Doncaster, DN1 3BU19 Nov
Norden Farm
Maidenhead, SL6 4PF20 Nov
The Garage
Norwich, NR2 1NY21 Nov
Lincoln Performing Arts Centre
Lincoln, LN6 7TS22 Nov
The Edge
Manchester, M21 9JG23 Nov
The Continental
Preston, PR1 8JP26 Nov
Arts Centre Washington
Sunderland, SR6 0GL27 Nov
Selby Town Hall
Selby, YO8 4AJ28 Nov
Square Chapel
Halifax, HX1 1QJ29 Nov
The Maltings
Berwick-upon-Tweed, TD15 1AJ30 Nov
Bush Theatre
London, W12 8LJ04 Dec — 18 Jan
Creative and Technical Team
Writer Zia Ahmed
Director Anna Himala HowardÂ
Designer Mydd Pharo
Composition & Sound Anna ClockÂ
Lighting Martha GodfreyÂ
Movement Jenni Jackson
Assistant Director Janise SadikÂ
BSL Consultant Rinkoo Barpaga
Company Stage Manager Alice LongsonÂ
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
