Mojisola Adebayo - Beyond The Canon’s Plays for Young Activists: Three Plays by Women from the Global Majority (Plays for Young People)

First published in 2019 by Oberon Books Ltd

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Copyright Mojisola Adebayo, 2019

I Stand Corrected Mojisola Adebayo, 2012

Asara and the Sea-Monstress Mojisola Adebayo, 2014

Oranges and Stones Mojisola Adebayo, 2017

The Interrogation of Sandra Bland Mojisola Adebayo, 2017

STARS Mojisola Adebayo, 2018

Introduction copyright Lynette Goddard, 2019

Mojisola Adebayo is hereby identified as author of these plays in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. The author has asserted her moral rights.

All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before commencement of rehearsal to the author c/o Oberon Books (). No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained, and no alterations may be made in the title or the text of the play without the authors prior written consent.

You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

PB ISBN: 9781786828002

E ISBN: 9781786828019

Cover illustration Candice Purwin

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eBook conversion by Lapiz Digital Services, India.

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Acknowledgements

I hereby extend a huge thank you to Debo Adebayo, Mamela Nyamza, Edward Muallem, Rajha Shakiry and all of the artists and creative contributors whose individual names are too many to repeat here but who are duly acknowledged at the start of each play. These productions were only made possible through your extraordinary creativity and commitment. Thanks to each and every one of you. There are other people who have supported the writing and making of these plays whom I would now like to take a moment to thank. Thank you to my Editor, Serena Grasso and also James Hogan and everyone at Oberon Books. You have changed the face of theatre publishing in Britain. Thank you to Professor Lynette Goddard for your introduction and support, and Candice Purwin for your beautiful artwork on the cover. Thank you to all of the individuals that enabled the development of these works, especially Shante Needham and all of Sandra Blands family. Thank you to all of the workers at the theatre companies, venues and organisations that enabled the development of these works, especially: Jean September of British Council Cape Town, Suha Khuffash of British Council Palestine, Marlene LeRoux of Artscape, Rachel Anderson and Cis OBoyle of idle women, Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway of Artistic Directors of the Future (ADF) and Elayce Ismail through ADF, Reginald Edmund of Black Lives, Black Words, Madani Younis and Omar Elerian of Bush Theatre, Stella Kanu and Owen Calvert-Lyons of Ovalhouse, Edward Muallem, Iman Auon, Fida Jiris and all the team at Ashtar Theatre, Raidene Carter and Gavin Barlow of Albany Theatre, Rosamunde Hutt and Carl Miller of Unicorn Theatre, Caroline Jester of Birmingham REP and Isabel Waidner of Dostoyevsky Wannabe. Thank you also to Andrew Ellerby and Deborah Williams of Arts Council England. Thank you to our funders Arts Council England, Unity Theatre Trust, British Council Cape Town, British Council Palestine and Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Public Engagement. Thank you to my colleagues at Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) for the PhD scholarship that enabled two of these works. Thank you to my Primary PhD Supervisor in the Drama Department at QMUL, Dr Catherine Silverstone. Thank you to my Secondary Supervisor Professor Caoimhe McAvinchey, as well as Dr Nadia Davids and Professor Lois Weaver. I am grateful to all of my comrades in the Department of Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths, University of London especially my respective Heads of Department whilst I wrote these plays, Professor Anna Furse and Professor Osita Okagbue. Blessings and appreciation to everyone who bought tickets for these plays, contributed freely to post-show discussions, workshops and the community chorus. Thank you to the children who gave feedback on Asara, especially Barney and Arthur, Alice and Emily, Thomas and James, and all the grown-up Marys too. I want to take this opportunity to extend my deep gratitude to the family of friends who carried me through periods of illness and injury whilst writing these plays, including: Sandra Vacciana, Franc Ashman, Jeff Banks, Anna Wallbank, Kay Soord, Stella Barnes, Nicky Bashall, Paul Woodward, Anna Napier, Nadia Davids, Jean September, Del LaGrace Volcano, Claudine Rousseau, Ali Pottinger, Rita Das, Charlie Folorunsho, Antonia Kemi Coker, Katy Forkha, Alison Halstead, Ellie Beedham, Rajha Shakiry, Tariq Alvi, Bid Mosaku, Jacqui Beckford, John Martin, Debora Mina, Mita Banerjee, Catherine Silverstone, Sue Mayo, Manisha Mehta, Jules Hussey, Sue Giovanni, Cathy Tyson, Jilna Shah, S. Ama Wray, Elizabeth da Rosa, Carole Jones, Hilary Marshall, Alisa Lebow, Baak Ertr, Nanna Heidenreich, Fine Freiburg, Sadhvi Dar, Deni Francis, Crin Claxton, Luca Claxton-Francis, Leni Goddard, Semsem Kuherhi, Sarah Ives, Nesta Jones, Steven Dykes, Styler and Jahni Tafari, Avaes Mohammad and so many more. I would not have made it without your support. Thank you Elyse Dodgson, rest in peace dear heart, your legacy continues. Thank you dear Giuseppe, my guardian angel. Huge thanks to my beloved kin, especially my brother Debo Adebayo, my mother Anne Marie Adebayo, as well as Klaus Zimmermann, Louise Hennessey, Remi Adebayo, Tomisin Adebayo, Dotun, Yinka, Folarin, Diran, Tayo, Tunde, Funmilayo and Funmilola Adebayo and all of my beautiful inspirational cousins (too many to mention) ubuntu. Last but not least, Nicole Wolf, Liebe meines Lebens, thank you for everything. Me, We Muhammad Ali.