Arcola Theatre to Present Henry Naylor's ANGEL

Following a total sell-out run at this year's Edinburgh Fringe, Henry Naylor is delighted to present the London debut of his Multi-Award-winning one-woman play, Angel, at London's Arcola Theatre for a month-long season this autumn.

The third of two-time Fringe First Award Winner Naylor's Arabian Nightmares Trilogy, Angel is inspired by the story of a modern legend; a female sniper - the Angel of Kobani - who held ISIS in check for over a year in war torn Syria. A young female law student, she joined the resistance when the town of Kobani was besieged - and quickly discovered that she had a talent for killing. In the midst of the fiercest fighting since Stalingrad, it is alleged that she shot and killed 100 extremists - making her particularly feared by ISIS, as they believe that if they are killed by a woman they cannot enter Paradise...

The Fringe First Award winning first play of the trilogy, The Collector, explored the issue of prisoner abuses during the Western occupation of Iraq, and questioned how essentially decent people became brutalized by war. It premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2014 and has just completed a 35-date UK Tour.

Naylor's second play, Echoes, discovered astonishing parallels between the Jihadi brides of today, and the early Victorian pioneers. Following its Fringe debut in 2015 it went on to win ten major Awards including Adelaide Critics' Circle Choice Award, Adelaide Fringe Best Theatre Award and BankSA Best Theatre Award and successfully transferred for a critically acclaimed run at the 59e59 Theatre in New York.

Henry Naylor only began writing theatrical dramas after a successful career in TV comedy. Before his Middle Eastern plays he used to be the lead writer on Spitting Image, and wrote for Alistair MacGowan, Rory Bremner, Dead Ringers, and Lenny Henry, among others.

Angel marks Henry's second collaboration with actress Filipa Braganca following her critically acclaimed performance in Echoes. She was called "outstanding" by the Sunday Times, "spellbinding" by Broadwayworld (New York) - and won the Outstanding Performance Award, 2016 (Prague Fringe).