Hoxton Hall Announces Cast For Female Parts Shorts and Full Spring Programming

Hoxton Hall today announces the full cast for Female Parts Shorts: A Woman Alone, The Immigrant and A Mother - a collection of short plays directed by Karena Johnson, Artistic Director of Hoxton Hall. Johnson directs Gehane Strehler in A Woman Alone, Clare Perkins in The Immigrant and Rebecca Saire in A Mother. The three monologues will be performed in sequence, opening on Thursday 15 March, with previews from Tuesday 13 March, running until Saturday 31 March.

Also announced today is a one-off performance from Norwegian singer/songwriter Aurora on Tuesday 27 February, joining the previously announced productions: Oranges and Elephants, which runs until February 10; Jazz Verse Jukebox hosted by Jumoke Fashola, The Swing Time Dance Company's Spring Swing, Funny Women Awards: London Regional Final, Ms Paolini's Phantasmagoria Cabaret, Desiree Burch's Unf*ckable and Vintage Misfits' Organic Nubians Club Night.

Completing the season are Women-ish, an event to celebrate International Women's Day, hosted by Thea Gajic with guest speakers, Immediate Theatre and Natasha Jane Bishop, and performances from Oriana Jemide, Yazmin Belo and Hoxton's Youth Arts; and an all-female panel for the sixth Tonic Celebrates. The panel will include Natasha Bucknor, Executive Director of Talawa Theatre Company, Karena Johnson, Artistic Director of Hoxton Hall, and Casting Director, Sam Jones. The first half of the evening is chaired by Tonic Theatre's Director Lucy Kerbel, before the floor is opened to the audience for questions.

Directed by Karena Johnson; Design by Libby Watson; Lighting Design by Sherry Coenen

A hilarious tragic farce about a Turkish London housewife imprisoned in her own home by her 'loving' husband who incessantly calls her throughout the day to check on her. With no company except that of her injured hand wondering brother-in-law, she begins to make friends with the next door neighbour.

As she talks to her neighbour through the window, she suddenly comes to realisation her life isn't as perfect as she thought, and that loving husband of hers is a pig like the rest of them.

A Woman Alone is a comedy that makes serious commentary on freedom, misogyny and power.

Gehane Strehler plays Zehra. Her theatre credits include La Fille A La Mode (National Theatre, Barbican & Theatre Royal Haymarket), Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night (International tour) St Joan (Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh), Seance On A Sunday Afternoon (Nottingham Lakeside), Mirad The Boy From Bosnia (Bristol Old Vic), Sahar Speaks (Theatre 503), Operation Magic Carpet (Polka Theatre), Red Fortress (Unicorn Theatre), Burn My Heart (Trestle), The Slow Sword (Old Red Lion), 4:48 Psychosis (Arcola Theatre), My Mother Medea (York Theatre Royal) and Respect (Birmingham Rep). Her television credits include The Child in Time.

Hoxton Hall present Female Parts Shorts: The Immigrant
By OneNess Sankara

Directed by Karena Johnson; Design by Libby Watson; Lighting Design by Sherry Coenen

13 March - 31 March 2018

The Immigrant follows Amanda, a highly accomplished Caribbean woman and space pioneer in her field. Instead of being praised as a role model she is portrayed as ruthless career woman who abandoned her child in order to pursue her career goals.

The Immigrant explores the guilt of a working mother amplified by distance. As she ponders the emotional cost of her choices and the judgement she faces from outsiders.

OneNess Sankara is an award-winning singer, songwriter, lyricist, actress and director. She has performed at Glastonbury, Royal Festival Hall as well as on BBC, SKY and Choice FM. She has also performed as part of a poetry quartet, Best Kept Secret.

Clare Perkins plays Ama. Her theatre credits include Daisy Pulls it Off (Park Theatre), Three Mothers (Waterloo East), Primetime (Royal Court), Roundelay (Southwark Playhouse), The Convert (Gate Theatre), Removal Men (Yard Theatre), Play On, Little Revolution (Almeida Theatre), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (National Theatre, UK tour), The House that Will Not Stand, How Long is Never? Darfur- a Response, Fabulation (Tricycle Theatre), Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre), A Fag Burn in the Carpet (Kings Head Theatre), Our Country's Good, Cyrano De Bergerac (Nuffield Southampton Theatres), Generations of the Dead (Young Vic) and Ready or Not (Theatre Royal Stratford East). For television her credits include as series regular Ava Hartman in EastEnders, Denise Boulter in Family Affairs and Cathy Kelsey in Pig Heart Boy.

Hoxton Hall present Female Parts Shorts: A Mother
By Franca Rame and Dario Fo

In a translation by Ed Emery

Directed by Karena Johnson; Design by Libby Watson; Lighting Design by Sherry Coenen

13 March - 31 March 2018

Imagine you're at home, after a long day at work, having dinner, mindlessly watching TV. As your eyes glaze over you hear a voice from the newsreader saying, "terrorist captured", and the photo of the ruthless criminal flashes across your screen. Your heart suddenly stops as you realise that you know that ruthless criminal on your screen. Not only do you know him, he is your family member... even worse he's your son!

A Mother tells the story of woman who discovers her son is a terrorist by seeing him on the news. As she watches the news she contemplates her part in his fate - Where did she go wrong in raising him?

Rebecca Saire plays A Mother. For theatre her credits include The Crucible (The Old Vic), The Charity that Began at Home (Orange Tree Theatre), Four Dogs and a Bone (Etcetera Theatre), Private Lives (National Theatre), The Misanthrope (Piccadilly Theatre), Northanger Abbey (Greenwich Theatre), Travesties, A Jovial Crew, All's Well that Ends Well, School of Night and Hamlet (RSC). For television her credits include The Crown, A Taste for Death, Jeeves and Wooster, Vanity Fair, A.D. and Love in a Cold Climate. Her film credits include Their Finest and The Shooting Party.

Karena Johnson is Artistic Director and CEO of Hoxton Hall. She has worked for 20 years as a theatre director, producer and champion facilitator of emerging artists; her pioneering career includes being Artistic Director of The Broadway in Barking, Director of Loud Talkin', Acting Artistic Director of Contact Theatre in Manchester, Artistic Director of touring theatre company Kushite and five years as Head of Theatre Programming at Oval House Theatre. She has also been an Associate at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Nottingham Playhouse and NOW festival. Her work has been recognised with a TMA special award nomination for "theatre with cojones" for her Spin season at The Broadway an artistic response to the 2010 election and the local race between Labour and the official opposition the BNP. Johnson has also won Arts and Business Award for Diversity and a Jerwood Young Directors Award. Her directing credits include The Royal Duchess Superstore (The Broadway in Barking, Half Moon Theatre), Forty (Hackney Empire), Sweet Yam Kisses (Lyric Hammersmith), Safe (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Key Game (Riverside Studios), The Oddest Couple (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and Under Their Influence (Tricycle Theatre). She has also made a number of site specific works including the critically acclaimed Underneath - Nothing as Silent as Snow commissioned for the Black Seas Festival in the Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Crossings at the Liverpool docks, and Whose Blood performed in the Old Operating Theatre, London Bridge.

Nestled in the heart of lively Hoxton, the Grade II* listed Victorian Music Hall is rightfully known as the variety hall for the 21st century and is the home of contemporary performance. Since its re-launch in 2015 the stunning venue has hosted a range of productions from new writing, live music, immersive experiences and the best in stand-up, whilst also building a reputation for developing some of the most exciting emerging London talent; the Hall continues to nurture creators of the future through its flagship Youth Arts programme. Hoxton Hall celebrates Hackney's grassroots talent, using a mix of professional artistic work and community engagement. Hoxton Hall are committed to ensuring that creativity is accessible to everyone regardless of background or circumstance in Hackney's official creative hub.

This season has been made possible by the generous support of Arts Council England, Foyle Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and Noël Coward Foundation.

www.hoxtonhall.co.uk