Ode to Leeds

(Paperback)

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Theres always a pause, between the inhale and the first word. The room is silent. Butterflies collide. The words begin to rise up inside of you; Metaphors and similes contort like question marks. Your mouth unhinges, You speak Five young poets from Leeds are selected to compete at the worlds most prestigious international poetry slam competition in New York City. Fuelled by love, pride and passionate protest, their words light fires to show the world who they are and what they can be. But the determination to be crowned International Slam Champions threatens to overwhelm everything. As the competition draws closer, the poets are forced to discover not just their voices, but what they must find the courage to say. Ode to Leeds is a funny and moving coming-of-age story; a celebration of Leeds and language; and an ode to the art that changed Nyoni's own life. It blends spoken word poetry, heart and soul to provide a poignant and uplifting portrait of the city of Leeds. The play received its world premiere at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, on 10 June 2017.

Reviews

A blazing new drama about people on the margins of a failing society ... Nyonis interweaving of naturalism and poetry is superb, and lifts this show far beyond documentary, into unforgettable solo drama about one of the key experiences of our time. * Scotsman on Zodwa Nyoni's "Nine Lives" *
The device of revealing a life as refracted through the memories of mourners, whose characters are simultaneously revealed through their interactions, can be a cliche . . . Zodwa Nyoni exploits it with sprightly ease and emotional depth. Like another playwright and poet, JM Synge, she grippingly connects a particular situation to the universals of shared experiences through a wonderfully rich, humorous and densely poetic use of language. * Guardian on Zodwa Nyoni's "Boi Boi Is Dead" *
Gripping, humorous, poetic * Observer on Zodwa Nyoni's "Boi Boi Is Dead" *
If you think you need more than one actor and one suitcase to put on a play which journeys from Zimbabwe to Britain, with the action shifting between parks, clubs, streets and homes, you'd be wrong. Dealing with issues of asylum and homophobia, Nine Lives by Zodwa Nyoni stands up as a great piece of theatre * Morning Star on Zodwa Nyoni's "Nine Lives" *

Author Bio

Zodwa Nyoni is a Zimbabwean-born playwright and poet based in Leeds, UK. As winner of the Channel 4 Playwrights Scheme, she was Writer-in-Residence at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2014. Her first full-length play, Boi Boi is Dead, was shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize 2014/15. Other theatre credits include: Tangled Roots (2014), Nine Lives (2014), Come To Where Im From (2013), The Market (2013), Di Daakes Part A Di Night (2013), Home Has Died (2012), Why The Drought Returns (2012), The Night Shift (2011) and The Povo Die Till Freedom Comes (2010). She has been the recipient of the following awards: Award for the Arts 2011 (Leeds Black Awards) and the Young Black and Asian Writers Award (The Big Issue in the North's Short Story Competition 2011).