A DRAMA written by emerging young playwright Sara Shaarawi, Niqabi Ninja, will be directed by Megan Furniss and performed by rising talents Bianca Flanders and Loren Loubser. The 60-minute production will be staged at the Alexander Upstairs Theatre.
Set in Cairo during the time of the Egyptian uprising, the play gives two actresses a chance to explore the range and complexity of harassment against women, and one woman’s ability to develop a response.
Niqabi Ninja is an avenging superhero, born on the streets of Cairo, who is ready to seek out and avenge every single act of harassment she has experienced at the hands of men. She has a list, a record of injuries and a variety of punishments to mete out.
Shaarawi is a theatre maker from Cairo who is currently based in Glasgow. She performs, writes, translates and directs, and enjoys all equally.
Her professional experience in Scotland began with A Play, a Pie and a Pint’s season of Arab plays in 2012 where she worked as a translator, dramaturg and eventually as a performer ( One Day in Spring) as well. She has since attained an MA in International Performance Research (University of Amsterdam/University of Arts, Belgrade) and an MSc in European Theatre (University of Edinburgh). Her most recent writing credit was a reading of Day One at the Tron Theatre as part of Mayfesto 2014.
A playwright, actor, writer, director and improviser, Furniss has spent all of her life involved in theatre and make-believe. Clouds Like Waves is her latest play. To date it is the one she likes best.
Furniss graduated from UCT in 1986 and worked as an actress before starting her own improvisation troupe. She has written and co-written numerous plays and musicals, performed and directed theatre and she improvises and teaches improv. The Ten t, written in 2009, was published in an anthology of local and Argentinian plays by Projecto 34˚ South, and chosen as one of six African plays to be workshopped at the National Theatre Studio in London.
Actress and voice artist Flanders graduated from UCT in 2011 with a degree in Theatre and Performance, then obtained her Post-graduate Certificate of Education in 2012. Her most recent productions include Orpheus in Africa, In Ongenade and Kristalvlakte, as well as Nadia Tass’s film, American Girl.
Loubser is a 25 year old theatre and film actress and TV presenter. In 2013 she was a part of an all-female chorus cast for (B)itching Hour directed by Jacqui Singer and Gabrielle Pinto. Loren went on to play two contrasting characters in the play The Treatment directed by Thenjiwe Stemela. In 2013 to 2014 she collaborated with Ella Gabriel to produce two short films Two Actresses & Three Actresses. Her most recent work is in short film Lifting Nick.
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