BELLY OF THE BEAST World Premiere Rehearsed Reading Comes to the Finborough Theatre

The world premiere staged reading of Belly of the Beast by Saana Sze, winner of the 2022 ETPEP Award, plays for one night at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre on Saturday, 15 April 2023 at 7.30pm.

YoungMartha, a bright and agreeable student, falls in love with Gia, who has had enough of school and teachers that don't care about girls like her...
NowMartha enters the teaching industry, optimistic about making a positive change, but soon begins a quick journey towards disillusionment when they realise the corporate hell they're in...

Black, non-binary and queer, YoungMartha and NowMartha are set against rigid systems which insist they conform.

Belly of the Beast examines school politics, from the standpoint of both student and a teacher, as it asks "What are schools for?"

31 year old Saana Sze is a queer British-Ugandan writer/educator, living in East London. They worked in Front of House theatre for over three years. Their first theatre commission, Claudia Jones, was created for a young audience with Blue Elephant Theatre, as part of BET's Celebrating Black Voices series. Belly of the Beast is Saana's first full length play.

Saana will receive a prize of £8,000, a development relationship with the Finborough Theatre including one-to-one dramaturgy with Finborough Theatre Artistic Director and playwright Neil McPherson; a rehearsal workshop with actors and a director to develop the play; and a staged reading performance of the winning play either at the Finborough Theatre; and publication by Salamander Street, independent publisher of theatre, performance and live art. There will be ten runner-up prizes of £400 each, including for the two shortlist candidates - Eva Lily and Jacko Pook.

The cast is:

Isabel Adomakoh Young | NowMartha

Isabel Adomakoh Young has recently been seen in Bristol Old Vic's production of Hamlet opposite Billy Howle. Isabel has just wrapped on the second season of Foundation for Apple, and featured in Netflix smash hit show, Heartstopper. Isabel won Best Female Actor at the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards for her portrayal of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Regent's Park Open Air theatre. Isabel is a founding member of Pecs Drag Kings.

Tatenda Naomi Matsvai | YoungMartha

Tatenda Naomi Matsvai aka 2tender (They/Them) is a facilitator and devised performance maker, working with spoken word poetry in theatrical and non-theatrical performance contexts. Tatenda's work is mainly bio mythical, infusing their lived experience with myth, to challenge colonial cosmologies. Their performances are joyful, participatory, and multidimensional.

They are currently developing their co-written show Hot Orange (Half Moon Theatre).
Tatenda's work has won the VAULT Festival Origins Award, was nominated for an OffWestEnd Award, and performed at Theatre Peckham, Roundhouse Camden, Cockpit Theatre for the Voila Europe! Festival and the Between.Pomiędzy Literary Festival, Poland.

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