An acerbic comedy told through the sharp, straight-talking voice of an aspirational 16 year old British Muslim girl, this original work uncovers the typical life of a “Hounslow Girl” – young Muslim women who wear big hooped earrings along with their headscarves. Ambreen Razia’s witty debut challenges stereotypes of young British Muslim women, exploring the demands of a traditional Muslim upbringing in the face of London’s temptations.
Ambreen Razia offers an astute take on negotiating the hurdles of conservative family values alongside the challenges of teenage life in West London, retelling her experiences from traditional Pakistani weddings to teenage romance with a fast-paced narrative, The Diary of a Hounslow Girl’s humorous approach seeks to upturn stereotypes and bridge generational rifts with a comic yet resonant approach to present-day dilemmas in the face of age-old tradition.
Speaking about the show, Ambreen said “As a British Pakistani writer and actress my aim was to create a story based on contemporary characters from my generation, and explore how young people of our generation deal with the different types of adolescent pressures whilst trying to assimilate their foreign identity with their British identity.”
Hounslow Girl is the third production from Black Theatre Live, a pioneering consortium of 8 regional theatres committed to increasing the amount of Black and Ethnic Minority theatre on the touring circuit. It follows Black Theatre Live’s previous success with Macbeth as well as the recent tour of Pitch Lake Productions’ She Called Me Mother, starring Bafta award nominated actress Cathy Tyson.
THE DIARY OF A HOUNSLOW GIRL UK TOUR
4 – 6 May
Ovalhouse, London
www.ovalhouse.com
10 May
South Hill Park, Bracknell
12 May
Lighthouse, Poole
www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
13 – 14 May
Theatre Royal Margate
www.theatreroyalmargate.com
17 May
The Drum, Birmingham
www.the-drum.org.uk
19 – 21 May
Stratford Circus, London
www.stratford-circus.com
23 May
Artaud Theatre, Brunel University, London
24 – 25 May
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds
www.theatreroyal.org
26 May
Bradford Literature Festival
www.bradfordliteraturefestival.co.uk
1 June
Marine Theatre, Dorset
www.marinetheatre.com
3 – 4 June
Tobacco Factory, Bristol
www.tobaccofactory.com
9 June
Upstairs at the Western, Leicester
www.Upstairsatthewestern.com
10 – 11 June
Key Theatre, Peterborough
www.vivacity-peterborough.com
14 – 15 June
Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham
www.queenshall.co.uk
16 June
Unity Theatre, Liverpool
www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk
17 – 18 June
Derby Theatre
www.derbytheatre.co.uk
