Cambridge University Students Bring Groundbreaking Play to London

By News deskThursday, August 8, 2013.After five star reviews and breaking history in Cambridge, Justina Kehinde and Ifeyinwa Frederick are bringing Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls [Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf] to London for one night only. The Obie award-winning play is a choreopoem originally written by African-American feminist Ntozake Shange.Justina Kehinde, director and co-producer, said: “The first time I put on For Colored Girls […], the intention of making history was not on my radar; I simply wanted to have my voice heard. After directing, co-producing and acting in a play, which uses poetry and dance to stare the grotesque nature of rape, abortion, AIDS, domestic violence and infanticide squarely in the face, you realise the play is more than you.”The original Cambridge run of the play directed and produced by Kehinde challenged the local theatrical norms by having the first all-black, all female cast ever on a Cambridge University stage in the institution’s 800 year history. The power and creativity of the performance resulted in standing ovations, a sell-out performance and five stars reviews. After such a successful run, Kehinde and Frederick are bringing the play to London.Ifeyinwa Frederick, who was a member of the original cast and is now also co-producer for the London show, comments: “As a dancer, I am used to being on stage but the original Cambridge production of the play tested me. It was the first proper play I had been involved in outside of school and it was a challenging one for me to have started with. The content of the play will resound with a number of people and the uniqueness of the production will attract an atypical audience to the theatre.”For Colored Girls, will be staged at the Canada Water Culture Space on Friday, September 13, 7.30pm – followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew hosted by Hannah Pool.

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