Leah is a strong, independent black woman. At least that’s the role she has been playing. But when she learns that she has to travel to Rwanda, the country of her birth which she left as a refugee, to receive a prestige award, her world implodes.
I Am Leah is inspired by '100 Days, 100 Stories' - a powerful testimony of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and a tool for genocide education. The play brings these succinct moments of Rwandans' lived experiences from page to stage, combining fictional narrative and real-life testimonies. An unflinching look at intergenerational trauma and the constant redefinition of self and home.
The four-strong cast features Nahel Tzegai (The Jungle, Young Vic), Michelle Asante (Top Boy, Netflix), Sara Mokonen (The Jungle, Young Vic) and Alex Akindeji (The Streets, Hackney Empire).
Marking the 30th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, the play explores what it means to be a survivor, immigrant and British in a charged political climate against the backdrop of a universal mother-daughter story. With a deft touch of dark humor - a hallmark of Rwandan resilience - I Am Leah delves into the aftermath of displacement and educates as it captivates.
Audiences on Thursday 10th are invited after the show to join a Q&A with:
Jo Ingabire Moys: Rwandan-British writer/director whose short film, Bazigaga, was nominated for a BAFTA in 2023. Currently in development with the BFI on her feature film, she co-wrote I Am Leah after nearly 10 years of writing and editing stories that will be released this autumn in Huza Press: 100 Days, 100 Stories: Rwandan voices on the genocide against the Tutsi.
Dr Zoë Norridge: Reader in African and Comparative Literature and Visual Cultures, King’s College London. She researches contemporary arts in Rwanda and cultural responses to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Her work often involves collaborations with artists and survivors and she has convened numerous workshops, events and exhibitions in Rwanda and the UK. Her translation of Yolande Mukagasana’s survivor testimony Not My Time to Die was published by Huza Press in 2019. She has also made two BBC radio documentaries: Rwanda’s Returnees and Living with Memory in Rwanda. She is former Chair of the Ishami Foundation, an Associate Editor at Wasafiri magazine, and a member of the UK Holocaust Memorial Day Trust’s Expert Reference Group.
100 Days, 100 Stories: Rwandan Voices on the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, published by Huza Press, will be released in the UK on the 10th of October.
Many thanks to the creatives with lived experience of war who helped shape this show with their feedback: Momtaza Mehri, Tasia Graham, Nick Makoha, Majid Adin.
“Keep up the good work producing cutting-edge theatre for everyone in London”
Councillor Jonathan Simpson, 29 January 2018
