REFILWE, A New Take On Rapunzel Opens at Bernie Grant Arts Centre This Weekend

Refilwe, a new family adventure about hair, home and the power of connecting with roots is a contemporary Black, feminist twist on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel which opens at Bernie Grant Arts Centre this weekend.

Inspired by Zukiswa Wanner's Southern African retelling of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel, this new take for young audiences transports the story from the Lesotho mountains to Tottenham and follows 12-year-old Refilwe on a visit to the British Museum to find a special loc weaver to maintain her hair. Joined by her aunty Agnus and new friend Tumi, the trio find themselves locked in the iconic London landmark after closing time where they bust their best dance moves, speak their wittiest riddles and flip their hair while uncovering more hidden powers and magic than they ever could have imagined. This fun filled adventure for all the family looks at what is home and celebrates roots and marks the first original production from Bernie Grant Arts Centre (BGAC), in collaboration with National Youth Theatre (NYT) and Talawa Theatre Company (TTC). The all-Black cast will be made up of some of Britain's best young talent from the National Youth Theatre.

Azieb Pool from Bernie Grant Arts Centre (BGAC) and director of Refilwe said 'We're so excited that our first original production is close to opening. Ours is a bold and brilliant retelling; we're bringing all the power and politics of Zukiswa Wanner's original reworking of Rapunzel, relocating it to Tottenham, and adding plenty of surprises. This is a joyous, Black, feminist retelling and we're excited for people of all ages and backgrounds to experience the show, after all, everyone can identify with the themes of hair, heritage and celebrating your roots. We've loved collaborating with the National Youth Theatre and Talawa Theatre Company and we can't wait for the show to open. '

Refilwe opens at Bernie Grant Arts Centre this Saturday 2nd December until 10th, then continues its run at National Youth Theatre Workshop Theatre 13-17 December and Talawa Studio 20-23 December. For more info go to https://www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk/whats-on/refilwe/