Hibo Muse in Hijabi Monologues London directed by Milli Bhatia. Photo: Helen Murray
Hijabi Monologues London is part of an international project focusing on the real-life experiences of both local and international Muslim women. In a similar style to Black Lives, Black Words at the Bush Theatre earlier this year, Hijabi Monologues London features interweaving stories from our doorstep as well as experiences of Muslim women in other parts of the world.
Directed by Milli Bhatia, the evening will include existing monologues penned for this international project by women including original writer Sahar Ullah and three new works from members of the Bush Theatre’s immediate community totalling 9 UK premieres.
Amal lives in Shepherd’s Bush and is studying History at university. Hijabi Spiderman is her first professional piece for theatre.
Giles Thomas’ composition and sound design credits include: Handbagged (Theatre By The Lake); Death Of A Salesman (Royal And Derngate); Othello (Tobacco Factory, Bristol); Wish List, Yen (Royal Exchange & Royal Court); Contractions (Sheffield Theatres); Correspondence (Old Red Lion); I See You, Wolf From The Door, Prime Time, Mint, Pigeons, Death Tax and The President Has Come To See You (Royal Court); Pomona (National Theatre, Royal Exchange & Orange Tree, Offie Nomination); Sparks (Old Red Lion); The Titanic Orchestra, This Will End Badly and Allie (Edinburgh); Outside Mullingar (Theatre Royal Bath); Back Down (Birmingham Rep); Lie With Me (Talawa) and The Sound Of Yellow (Young Vic).
Sound designs include: Wait Until Dark (UK Tour); Disco Pigs (Trafalgar Studios); The Ugly One and A Dark Night In Dalston (Park Theatre); What Shadows (Birmingham Rep); They Drink It In The Congo (Almeida); The Sugar-Coated Bullets Of The Bourgeoisie (Arcola, Hightide Festival); Orson’s Shadow and Superior Donuts (Southwark Playhouse); Betrayal (UK Tour); The Snow Queen (Nuffield and Royal & Derngate); A Harlem Dream (Young Vic); Khandan (Birmingham Rep & Royal Court) and And Three Men In A Boat (UK Tour).
Hanan, a writer and poet from Cardiff, has written for MuslimGirl.com and Huffington Post and her poetry has appeared on various online publications, both major Muslim TV networks, and BBC Radio Wales. She wrote With Her Back Straight to honour her own mother’s story but to also recognise the struggle of all mothers.
Khadija Raza is a set and costume designer, who recently graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, working in theatre, opera and site-specific performances. Her assistant design credits include: Annemarie Woods on L’heure Espagnole and Gianni Schicci (Opera Nationale de Lorraine) and James Cotteril for the British Youth Opera on English Eccentrics and Owen Wingrave (Peacock Theatre). Currently, Khadija is assistant sesigner on The Unknown Island (Gate Theatre) and a finalist for the Linbury Prize.
Milli is an Associate Artist at he Bush Theatre, and Trainee Director at The Royal Court Theatre. Director credits for The Bush Theatre include: Hijabi Monologues London, and My White Best Friend / This Bitter Earth (both Black Lives Black Words).
Other Director credits include: Shine (Young Court, Royal Court Theatre), I Have Aids (directed as part of the Jerwood Director’s Programme, Young Vic), Rats (ADF Talks Brexit, Duffield Studio, National Theatre), EmpowerHouse (Theatre Royal Stratford East); No Cowboys Only Indians (Courtyard Theatre), Three Wheels On The Wagon (Birmingham Rep), The Snow Queen (Garage Theatre), The Vagina Monologues (Minotaur Theatre Company).
Associate Director credits include: What If Women Ruled The World? (Manchester International Festival). Assistant Director credits include: Girls and Boys, Instructions For Correct Assembly, One For Sorrow and Poet In Da Corner (Royal Court Theatre), Lions And Tigers (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), Cell Mates, Filthy Business and Luna Gale (Hampstead Theatre), Assata Taught Me (Gate Theatre), What Shadows (Birmingham Rep), The Quiet House (Birmingham Rep/The Park Theatre), The Government Inspector (Birmingham Rep/touring), How To Be A Hero (Birmingham Rep/Deptford Albany) and Luminous (Birmingham Rep).
Nabihah is a published poet and a former political columnist. She is also a graduate of the Bush Emerging Writers’ Group. Her play Home is Where the Heart is was published in a Study Guide by the Live Art Development Agency and was later performed at Theatre Delicatessen as part of Refugee Week. Nabihah has worked with theatres, including Rose Theatre, Tara Arts, Soho Theatre, Outlandish Platform and Lyric Hammersmith. Nabihah is a British Council Hamammet Fellow working on projects in the MENA region. She is also a human rights activist and has addressed Islamphobia and Hate Speech in public discussions on behalf of the Council of Europe. Nabihah is currently completing her Master of Studies at the University of Oxford, Brasenose.
Nimmo is currently the Trainee Assistant Director on Wings (supported by the Boris Karloff Foundation) at the Young Vic. Nimmo is a Youth Ambassador at Southbank Centre, a member of Barbican Young Programmers and a Future Film Programmer at the BFI.
Rania Hafez is an academic and writer. She is Senior Lecturer at the University of Greenwich and Fellow of the Muslim Institute. Rania has published on professionalism, cultural identity, and Islam and education. Her current research is on the intersectionality of British Muslim Identity. In 2008 Rania founded ‘Muslim Women in Education’ a professional network for educationalists and researchers. In addition to her academic work Rania is a regular political and cultural commentator whose media credits include the BBC, Levant TV, and the Islam Channel.
Latest publications: “Faith in the Academy: Religion at University” in Hudson, C. and Williams, J. (2016) Why Academic Freedom Matters: a response to current challenges, CIVITAS
Sahar is Co-Founder, Creative Director and Head Writer of Hijabi Monologues, which has toured across the United States and internationally for a decade. A South Floridian Bangladeshi based in New York City, Ullah holds a PhD in Arabic and Comparative Literature from Columbia University where she will be teaching literature as a Post-Doctoral Fellow. Ullah has been invited to speak about her work at the United Nations, U.S. Embassies, and universities around the world, as well as media outlets, including BBC Newshour, The Irish Times, and Jakarta Globe. Committed to bridging her scholarship with the arts, Ullah has developed storytelling workshops for young women of colour and has consulted for a number of theatre and television productions on Muslim cultures including Orange is the New Black.
Sarah-Jane Price graduated with a 1st class degree in Theatre, before going on to study a Post Graduate Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music from which she graduated with distinction. She has worked professionally as a performer and session singer for several years before realising her passion for casting.
Working for a variety of companies initially as a freelance runner and then a casting assistant, she then became a full casting director with Club11 London. Her work includes: Nassim Plays (Bush Theatre), Putting it Together (Belfast Lyric), Hello Again (The Hope Theatre), Adding Machine: A Musical (Finborough Theatre), Vanara (London Premiere) and various other shows, cabarets and theatre.
