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A brand-new collection of original audition pieces written by and for actors of colour, commissioned by Tamasha Theatre Company and edited by Titilola Dawudu, with a foreword by Noma Dumezweni.
Hear Me Now is a unique collection of over eighty original audition monologues, expressly created by a range of award-winning writers brought together by producer Titilola Dawudu and Tamasha Theatre Company. They're ideal for actors of colour searching for speeches for auditions or training, writers, teachers, and theatre-makers who are passionate about improving diversity.
The book provides varied, nuanced stories that expand beyond the range of existing material available - from a cross-dressing Imam, to the first Black Prime Minister, the British Indian girl with dreams of becoming a country music star, or the young Black boy who loves baking as much as football - Hear Me Now is an essential tool for actors of colour to showcase their range, and seeks to inspire, empower, and create a legacy for generations to come.
About the author
Titilola Dawudu is a Nigerian-born British storyteller and producer. Titilola's work spans across arts and cultural, charity and youth sectors in which she enables Black people, specifically Black women, and people from the global majority to thrive and show up as themselves. She is a multi-hyphenate creative - writer, producer and anti-racism and organisational development consultant.
She is part of the Black Womxn in Theatre team behind the iconic #WeAreVisible photoshoot of over 250 Black women at the Globe Theatre in July 2019. During the pandemic, Black Womxn in Theatre partnered with Eclipse Theatre and Bush Theatre in creating #AllOfUs campaign and #HearToStay a 4-week redundancy recovery care programme. This saw 50 Black, Asian and ethnically diverse people who were made redundant or were at risk of, come together and receive financial, mentoring and job support.
Titilola co-created and edited Hear Me Now Audition Monologues for Actors of Colourwith Tamasha, published by Oberon Books. Hear Me Now has become a series and in February 2020, she curated and produced a one-week festival, taking 16 monologues from the Hear Me Now book and creating a platform where stories about Black and South Asian women were not centred around trauma. LoveSexIdentityAmbition at Theatre503 saw an all Black and South Asian cast and crew open up conversations and provocations about the stories that are on the theatre stages for Black and Global Majority women.
Titilola is an associate Writer for Beyond Face Theatre company and has written for Theatre Royal Arojah in Abuja, Nigeria, Theatre Peckham, Ovalhouse and Soho Theatre. She is a published writer and most recently her essay Let the Pendulum Swing about her Black identity and growing up within a white foster family was featured in The Working Class Anthology Series edited by Sophia Amina.
Tamasha Theatre Company is a diverse cohort of bold and playful theatremakers. Foregrounding emerging and established artists from culturally diverse backgrounds, Tamasha seek to fuel the future of new writing by producing and touring the best new plays, that challenge and change audiences everywhere; nurture, train and inspire artists, leaders and young people through Tamasha Developing Artists; enable theatremakers to engage creatively with communities and audiences, altering the perception of what theatre can be. Successes like East is East, Snookered, Blood, My Name is... and Made in India have won acclaim from critics and audiences alike. https://tamasha.org.uk/
Summary
A brand-new collection of original audition pieces written by and for actors of colour, commissioned by Tamasha Theatre Company and edited by Titilola Dawudu, with a foreword by Noma Dumezweni.
Hear Me Now is a unique collection of over eighty original audition monologues, expressly created by a range of award-winning writers brought together by producer Titilola Dawudu and Tamasha Theatre Company. They’re ideal for actors of colour searching for speeches for auditions or training, writers, teachers, and theatre-makers who are passionate about improving diversity.
The book provides varied, nuanced stories that expand beyond the range of existing material available – from a cross-dressing Imam, to the first Black Prime Minister, the British Indian girl with dreams of becoming a country music star, or the young Black boy who loves baking as much as football – Hear Me Now is an essential tool for actors of colour to showcase their range, and seeks to inspire, empower, and create a legacy for generations to come.
