Nottingham Playhouse presents a singular theatrical experience later this month when Kat Francois performs her show SEVEN TIMES ME. Subtitled Love, life and tales of seven, this is an inspirational one-woman play written and performed by the award-winning spoken word performer, reenacting her many trials and tribulations on the way to ultimate triumph as World Slam Champion. Presented by ZUPAKAT Productions, the show comes to Nottingham in association with the BRIT (Black Regional Initiative in Theatre) programme at Nottingham Playhouse. SEVEN TIMES ME will be performed in the theatre’s Playroom studio on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 March at 8pm (Box Office: 0115 941 9419 or www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk). As a bonus, local actress Lisa Jackson will also be performing in support on both nights.
SEVEN TIMES ME combines storytelling, poetry, movement and even elements of visual art to form a unique and empowering theatrical presentation. Pure autobiography, the play takes us through the most poignant and the most memorable moments in its creator’s life, unashamedly tackling everything from puberty to domestic violence with honesty, passion and humour. Starting with her Nigerian background and early family life, Kat Francois charts her rites of passage, with her victory at the 2005 World Slam Championships providing an uplifting finale.
Writer, trainer and poet Kat Francois is widely famed for her dynamic, politically charged and sexy performance style. Kat grew up in London, one of seven children, and developed an interest in writing at an early age. Attending the poetry nights at a bar in Brixton inspired her to try performing and she quickly rose to prominence at open mike events and as a member of performance poetry group Brother Man. In 2004 she gave up her day job to concentrate on performance and just two days later became the very first winner of the Slam Poets showdown on BBC3 TV. This launched her on the road to Rotterdam where she became World Slam Champion the following year. Now in international demand, Kat has performed and led education programmes in Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Norway and Australia. She has also recorded a poetry CD and continues to mastermind spoken word events at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East.
SEVEN TIMES ME will be supported by a short performance from Lisa Jackson. A freelance playwright, actor and facilitator, Lisa draws on her own experience and observation as a dual-heritage woman living in Nottingham to explore the themes of ethnicity, identity and belonging. Her style of dramatic storytelling incorporates humour and Jamaican patois and has won her commissions from schools, theatres, prisons, community venues and conferences, often as a stimulus for debate. She is a founder member of Nottingham’s monthly spoken word event Blackdrop and recently became a board member of Mainstream Partnership, a new network supporting culturally diverse artists throughout the East Midlands.
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