New Shoes Theatre to Bring HURRIED STEPS to Finborough Theatre, 6 March

New Shoes Theatre returns to the Finborough Theatre with Hurried Steps as part of their 2014 International Women's Day tour, playing for one performance only on Thursday, 6 March 2014 at 2.00pm.

Hurried Steps originally received its British premiere at the Finborough Theatre in 2009. The powerful hour-long play is inspired by real testimonies from Amnesty International and retells eight stories from around the world. The play was originally created for Amnesty International to spark a global debate about domestic abuse and the stark, no-frills performance is written to stimulate an hour-long discussion between the audience and a panel of local fieldworkers and experts in the field of domestic abuse.

Originally created as part of the international project Passi Affretatti (Hurried Steps), the play has ignited a global debate about the impact of violence against women and has already been performed worldwide and translated into six languages.

"With hurried steps these women flee from pain and discrimination. Inspired by real facts reported by Amnesty International, the text is a testimony, an accusation, a gesture of solidarity and acknowledgement of all the women who are still prisoners of a forced marriage, of a violent family, of a hustler, of tradition or of age-old discriminations which are so difficult to overcome." Dacia Maraini

Dacia is a renowned Italian playwright, novelist, poet, journalist and has been a champion of women's issues since the 1970's, speaking fearlessly against any action that impinges women's rights. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature and shortlisted for the International Man Booker Prize. A prolific playwright, her version of Mary Stuart is continuously performed worldwide including a production by La Mama in New York. Other UK productions include Dialogue Between A Prostitute And Her Client (Half Moon Theatre), directed by Ann Mitchell. Her novels, Voci, La Sono Mia, Memoirs of a Female Thief and Marianna Ucria were made into films and she has also written screenplays including Arabian Nights, directed by Pasolini. She has won the Formentor Prize, the Premio Fregene, the Premio Campiello and the Premio Strega awards. Translator Professor Sharon Wood is Head of Modern Languages at Leicester University.

At the Finborough Theatre, Nicolette has directed Seed (2004), Love Child (2007) and Hurried Steps (2009).
Trained at the Drama Centre, London.

Theatre includes The B3 Team (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and National Tour), Mary Stuart, named Time Out Critics' Choice (BAC), The Dreams of Clytemnestra (BAC), Mela (BAC), Antonino Calderone (MAC), Rachel Caine, Artist (The Bristol Old Vic Gallery), Alma Mahler (Etcetera Theatre and The Forum), The Cinderella Remix Story (Brighton Dome Studio), Mud (Etcetera Theatre), You Only Miss The Water When The Well Runs Dry (The Demarco Gallery and The Forum), He Who Pays The Piper (The Forum) and A Man Stands on a Podium (The Forum)
Film includes You Never Know, The Bullies, The Dissin' Ark and 2Friends

The cast includes
Eugenia Caruso
Productions at the Finborough Theatre include the British Premiere of Hurried Steps (2009).
Trained at East 15.
Other theatre includes Truckstop for which she won The Stage Award for Best Actress at the Edinburgh Festival (Hampstead Theatre and National Tour) Romeo and Juliet (Almeida Theatre and National Tour), Narrating the Barbican (Barbican Theatre), The Wwo Noble Kinsmen and Morelight (Arcola Theatre), The Cinderella Remix Story (Brighton Dome Studio), Unexpected Item (Barbican Theatre and The People's Supermarket) Click (National Tour) and Tagore's Tigers (The Tagore Centre).
Film includes Berberian Sound Studio, The Duke of Burgundy and Chasing Robert Barker.

Emma Dennis-Edwards
Trained at East 15.
Theatre includes Clean (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, and Off-Broadway in 2014), Millennium (Vineyard Theatre, New York), Crash (Arcola and Theatre North Wall Arts Centre), Talent (Soho Theatre), The Roaring Girl (Shakespeare's Globe) A New World (Barbican Theatre and Shoreditch Town Hall), Bussin' It (Ovalhouse and Camp Bestival) and Hurried Steps (National Tour).
Television includes BBC ident for Over the Rainbow.
Film includes Trap for Cinderella and The Naked Poet

Mariam Haque
Productions at the Finborough Theatre include the British Premiere of Hurried Steps (2009).
Trained at Drama Studio London and studied French and Drama at Bristol University.
Other theatre includes The House of Bilquis Bibi (Hampstead Theatre), Category B (Tricycle Theatre), The Roundabout (Bush Theatre), Leon and The Place Between (Unicorn Theatre), Monster Under The Bed (Polka Theatre), A Better Life (Theatre 503), Crossed Keys (St John's), INVASION! (Tooting Arts Club), Au Revoir Les Enfants (Cockpit Theatre and German Tour), Hearts and Minds (National Tour), Twelve (Tristan Bates Theatre) and The Knight and the Crescent Hare (Scottish Tour).
Film includes Diary of a Jihadi and Lost Paradise
TV includes Hunted.

Samuel Young
Trained at East 15.
Theatre includes The Education of Hitler (Tristan Bates Theatre).
Television includes WPC 56 and Doctors.

The press on the original Finborough Theatre production of Hurried Steps
"The stories are hair-raising..... It's BEAUTIFUL work from the Finborough, the actors, director and designers." Blanche Marvin, London TheatreReviews
"The actors, three women and two men stood behind music stands, but this was to make the drama even more powerful. And power it was. It left one numb." Keith Parkins, UKIndyMedia

The press on director Nicolette Kay
Time Out Critics' Choice
"Excellent performances and some stunning moments of violence" Owen Slot, The Independent
"Fascinating" Ann McFerran, Time Out
"Nicolette Kay directs the often exhilarating proceedings...a production of character" Brendan O'Keeffe, The Guardian

Tickets £5