In 2017 the phrase “Ramalama Ding Dong” was repeatedly sneered at Roshi by a stranger on a train after he briefly heard her speak Farsi to her family. To her surprise, friends urged reporting it as a hate crime. Essex police confirmed that it was, part of a general rise in racist hate crime since 2016.
Roshi started to recount the story, exploring ways of delivery that combine experiments with stand-up and sound art: using vocal processing technologies to create repetitious effects to the point of absurdity, aiming for provocation without becoming preachy. She added further accounts of real-life racism, realising that while racism is no laughing matter it can be risible, surreal and even darkly funny.
At CPT's Shape Of Things To Come Festival, the work-in-progress drew comparisons to Stewart Lee, Meredith Monk, Hannah Gadsby. Roshi is now ready to present Ramalama Ding Dong in all its colours.
With support from an ACE Project's Grant, a Covid 19 bursary from Sound & Music, rehearsal space from CPT and NewDiorama Theatre plus a wonderful creative team:
Music Consultant - Mariam Rezaei (TOPH)
Script editors - David Stubbs (Bill Bailey, Alan Davies) and Kerry Andrew (Skin)
Visuals and lighting design - Al Orange (Imove)
Director - Peyvand Sadeghian (Dual)
Tobi King Bakare and this theatre deserve a shout-out for such a young, diverse audience. There is so much talk about audiences being full of over 60s and why, why can’t theatres get the crowds in to reflect society in general? Well, I’m happy to say that on a rainy Thursday evening, the theatre was completely full.
Caiti Grove on Before I Go in CPT's Spring 2023 season London Theatre Reviews
