An acerbic comedy told through the sharp, straight-talking voice of an aspirational 16 year old British Muslim girl; The Diary of a Hounslow Girl returns as emerging actress Nyla Levy takes on the lead role in Ambreen Razia’s witty debut following its 2016 national tour. This original work, which was nominated for Best Stage Production at the Asian Media Awards 2016, follows the typical life of a “Hounslow Girl” – young Muslim women who wear big hooped earrings along with their headscarves – to challenge stereotypes of young British Muslim women.
Playwright Ambreen Razia offers an astute take on negotiating the hurdles of conservative family values alongside the challenges of teenage life in West London, through her experiences from traditional Pakistani weddings to teenage romance. 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.
Ambreen Razia said “It’s truly a pleasure to be handing over the role to such an incredibly talented actress! The response from audiences has been fantastic and it’s great to have the opportunity to tour it to 13 new venues this Spring with House Theatre. As a writer, it’s exciting to see Nyla take on the role of Shaheeda with a fresh energy. I can’t wait to see the show with Nyla performing and finally be able to sit back and watch the magic which I’m sure is going to be an overwhelming and very exciting moment.”
The Diary of a Hounslow Girl is at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre 9-11th March 2017 before embarking on tour.
