Black Gold Arts Festival and Contact, present the live world premiere of mandla rae's 'as british as a watermelon'
“My name is mandla. It means power. I gave it to myself.”
Writer and performer mandla rae has a selective memory and is scrambling to piece together a life mostly forgotten in the name of survival. Through the exploration of mandla’s fragmented asylum and migration memories, as british as a watermelon asks questions about belonging, trauma and forgiveness.
Told through an unflinching autofiction narrative weaving poetry and storytelling; set within a chaotically colourful, sensory performance space; you are invited to watch as mandla rises from the dead to reclaim a previously misplaced power.
mandla rae is a queer Zimbabwean writer, performer and curator. mandla is agender and has no pronouns. mandla’s work typically explores an intersectional existence enforced on the artist’s body as a result of the world we live in. mandla has been commissioned by many organisations across the country including the BFI, Journeys Festival International and Hope Mill Theatre to make written works. mandla is an Associate Artist for Outbox Theatre.
This show has content warnings, please read in full here.
Black Gold Arts and Contact have come together during Black History Month to deliver a line-up of outstanding Black-led art, performance and film, all supported and commissioned by the two organisations. Keep your eyes peeled for additional events.
Access & Socially Distanced Performances
- There will be BSL performance of this show on Mon 25 Oct 7.30pm, interpreted by Lauren Lister.
- There will be a captioned performance of this show on Weds 27 Oct 7.30pm
- We have two socially distanced performances of this show on Sat 23 Oct 7:30pm and Tue 26 Oct 7:30pm. Go to our Your Visit page here, for more details on visiting our building.
- If you have any access needs you want to discuss with us, please call the box office Monday to Friday between 10-5pm on 0161 274 0600, alternatively you can email the box office on boxoffice@contactmcr.com, or get in touch via direct message on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram (@contactmcr on all three platforms.)
REVIEWS
The Stage ★★★★
“The show is short and sharp, slippery and nonlinear, It feels like witnessing a person trying to gather themselves up, and is beautifully intrusive.”
The Scotsman ★★★★
“Mandla Rae’s as british as a watermelon stands out as a piece of solo theatre investigating the nature of memory.”
Exeunt
“Sharp, stylish and tenderly imbued with truthfulness. It builds itself precariously, with delicate details of a life. The straightforward obliqueness of the show’s storytelling can’t help but charm you. It’s knowing. And defiant.”
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Credits
Produced by Switchflicker Productions/Jayne Compton
Visual Collaborator – Graham Clayton-Chance
Costume – John Krausa
Creative Advisors – Sonia Hughes and Jo Fong
Sound Designer – Xana
Production Images – Benjamin Liddell
Set Designer – Michael Hankin
Production Manager – Phil Buckley
Outside Eye – Dan Watson
