THE DIARY OF A HOUNSLOW GIRL to Hit the Road

An acerbic comedy told through the sharp, straight-talking voice of an aspirational 16-year-old British Muslim girl, this original work uncovers the typical life of a "Hounslow Girl" - young Muslim women who wear big hooped earrings along with their headscarves. Ambreen Razia's witty debut THE DIARY OF A HOUNSLOW GIRL challenges stereotypes of young British Muslim women, exploring the demands of a traditional Muslim upbringing in the face of London's temptations.

Written by Ambreen Razia and directed by Sophie Moniram, the production launches a national UK tour from 4th May to 18th June 2016, with press night slated for Friday 6th May 7.30pm at Ovalhouse.

Ambreen Razia offers an astute take on negotiating the hurdles of conservative family values alongside the challenges of teenage life in West London, retelling her experiences from traditional Pakistani weddings to teenage romance with a fast-paced narrative, The Diary of a Hounslow Girl's humorous approach seeks to upturn stereotypes and bridge generational rifts with a comic yet resonant approach to present-day dilemmas in the face of age-old tradition.

Speaking about the show, Ambreen said "As a British Pakistani writer and actress my aim was to create a story based on contemporary characters from my generation, and explore how young people of our generation deal with the different types of adolescent pressures whilst trying to assimilate their foreign identity with their British identity."

Ambreen Razia is a writer and actress from South London. She has performed at venues including The Old Vic, Ovalhouse, The National Theatre and has just finished filming with the BBC. Her recent credits include No Guts, No Heart, No Glory (2015), Mind The Gap (2015), After All This (2015) and BBC Three's Murdered by my Father (2015).This is Ambreen's debut play; originally commissioned by and performed at Ovalhouse in 2015 as part of their 33% London programme. Ambreen had previously performed The Diary of a Hounslow Girl as a monologue at Triforce's MonologueSlam UK in 2014.

Director Sophie Moniram is currently working as an Assistant Director at The Young Vic on their upcoming production of Strindberg's Creditors, and is a Creative Associate at the Gate Theatre. Her past work includes F**king Outside the Box (VAULT Festival) and he Five Stages of Waiting (Tristan Bates Theatre).

The creative team also includes Offie-nominated costume & set designer Petra Hjortsberg; dramaturg Neil Grutchfield, the New Writing Manager of Synergy Theatre Project; lighting designer Paul O'Shaughnessy; and independent arts producer Maeve O'Neill.

HOUNSLOW GIRL is the third production from Black Theatre Live, a pioneering consortium of 8 regional theatres committed to increasing the amount of Black and Ethnic Minority theatre on the touring circuit. It follows Black Theatre Live's previous success with Macbeth as well as the recent tour of Pitch Lake Productions' She Called Me Mother,starring Bafta award nominated actress Cathy Tyson.

Through a 3-year programme, Black Theatre Live will bring high-quality performances from culturally diverse perspectives to venues across the country. The initiative is a partnership of Tara Arts (London), Derby Theatre, Queen's Hall Arts (Hexham), the Lighthouse (Poole), Theatre Royal Bury St. Edmunds, Theatre Royal Margate, Stratford Circus Arts Centre (London) & Key Theatre (Peterborough).

TOUR SCHEDULE:

4 - 6 May Ovalhouse, London

52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW

020 7582 7680 | www.ovalhouse.com

10 May South Hill Park, Bracknell

Ringmead, Bracknell RG12 7PA

01344 484 123 | www.southhillpark.org

12 May Lighthouse, Poole

21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UG

0844 406 8666 | www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

13 - 14 May Theatre Royal Margate

Addington Street, Margate, CT9 1PW

01843 292795 | www.theatreroyalmargate.com

17 May The Drum, Birmingham

144 Potters Lane, Birmingham B6 4UU

0121 333 2444 | www.the-drum.org.uk

19 - 21 May Stratford Circus, London

Theatre Square, Stratford, London, E15 1BX

0844 357 2625 | www.stratford-circus.com

23 May Artaud Theatre, Brunel University, London

Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH

01895 267 661 ex67661

24 - 25 May Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds

6 Westgate, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, 1P33 1QR

01284 769505 | www.theatreroyal.org

26 May Bradford Literature Festival

www.bradfordliteraturefestival.co.uk

1 June Marine Theatre, Dorset

Church Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3QB

01297 442138 | www.marinetheatre.com

3 - 4 June Tobacco Factory, Bristol

Raleigh Rd, Bristol BS3 1FT

0117 902 0344 | www.tobaccofactory.com

9 June Upstairs at the Western, Leicester

70 Western Road, Leicester, LE3 0GA

Upstairsatthewestern.com

10 - 11 June Key Theatre, Peterborough

Embankment Road, Peterborough, PE1 1EF

01733 207239 | www.vivacity-peterborough.com

14 - 15 June Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Hexham

Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3LS

01434 652477 | www.queenshall.co.uk

16 June Unity Theatre, Liverpool

1 Hope Place, Liverpool L1 9BG

www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk | 0844 8732888

17 - 18 June Derby Theatre

15 Theatre Walk, St Peter's Quarter, Derby, DE1 2NF

01332 593939 | www.derbytheatre.co.uk

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