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Inua Ellams

INUA ELLAMS

  (1984 - )
Nationality:    British
email:    n/a     Website:    n/a

Literary Agent:    The Agency (London) Ltd  

Inua Ellams was born in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria in 1984. He left Nigeria in '96 and works as a poet, playwright, performer and graphic designer/artist. He works primarily as a poet and describes his writings for theatre as long poems.' His first play The 14th Tale (Def Eye, Flipped Eye, 2009) commissioned by the Battersea Arts Centre, was awarded a Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival, before a sold out run at The National Theatre in London. His second play Untitled was commissioned by Soho Theatre. His third play, Black T Shirt Collection is also published by Oberon Books and touring with Fuel Theatre Company during 2012.

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below is a list of Inua Ellams's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         14th Tale, The         Barber Shop Chronicles         Black T-Shirt Collection         Cape         Fast Cuts And Snap Shots         Knight Watch: South'story         Midnight Run         Playlist - New Plays Inspired by Festive Tunes         Reset Everything         Spalding Suite, The         This is Us         Turned         Untitled

14th Tale, The

14th Tale, The
1988: at four-years-old, he short-circuited his home with a silver spoon and a Betamax video player. 1989: stopped a 700-strong student assembly with a tantrum. 1995: was chased through jungle growth by a crazed, frustrated French teacher called Monsieur Batcock. . .Misfit? Apparently - until a little family research reveals a pattern of mischief reaching as far back as a great grandfather, and so the story begins: I'm from a long line of trouble makers, of ash skinned Africans, born with clenched fists and a natural thirst for battle only quenched by breast milk. They'd suckle as if the white silk sliding between gums were liquid peace treaties from mums. The 14th Tale is a beautiful mellifluous narrative that tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief, growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to rooftops in Dublin and finally to London by award-winning writer and performer Inua Ellams.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Flipped Eye Publishing 2009
Oberon Books (2015) >>>    

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama 55 min

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Barber Shop Chronicles

Barber Shop Chronicles
Barber Shop Chronicles is a generously funny, heart-warming and insightful new play set in five African cities, Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos, Accra, and in London. Inspired in part by the story of a Leeds barber, the play invites the audience into a unique environment where the banter may be barbed, but the truth always telling. The barbers of these tales are sages, role models and father figures who keep the men together and the stories alive.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Fuel

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama 55 min

Parts:
Male:  12            Female:  -            Other:  with doubling

Further Reference:
-

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Black T-Shirt Collection

Black T-Shirt Collection
a T-shirt is something most people have. It is a common denominator like a pair of blue jeans or a pair of Converse all Stars. From Fringe First winner Inua ellams, comes a new story about two foster brothers building a global t-shirt brand. On their journey from a market in Nigeria to a sweatshop in China, Matthew and Muhammed discover the consequences of success. the play tackles capitalism and exploitation, as well as sectarianism and homophobia in modern day Nigeria.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Fuel

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Cape

Cape
It's a simple idea, really. 1. Wear a uniform; 2. Protect who you love, what you care about; 3. Let nothing get in your way.
Someone mugged Bruce's mum and he is not having it. The shock is still visible in her trembling fingers, rippling out across the calm waters of their lives. He grabs his hoodie, his uniform, his cape and goes out to find the culprit. Smithy wants everyone to stay inside, Uhuru wants everyone out. Tanya thinks it's boyish fun and games until, very suddenly, it isn't.

Notes:
performed at the Unicorn following a tour of schools, pupile referral units, prisons and a young offender institution

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Synergy Theatre Project

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
TYA

Parts:
Male:  3            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Fast Cuts And Snap Shots

Synopsis:
For some members of the African diaspora, barber shops are cultural equivalents to pubs. Everything is discussed in heated detail, from film industries, to masculinity, government policy to autism, race to football, the political to the intimate, to the intensely personal. In a reading as part of the Transform Festival, Inua will be sharing stories from his research in England, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria. - See more at: http://www.oran-mor.co.uk/whats-on/fast-cuts-and-snap-shots-inua-ellams/?eID=8267#sthash.A4wutYSA.dpuf

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
A Play A Pie & A Pint

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  -            Other:  doubling

Further Reference:

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Knight Watch: South'story

Knight Watch: South'story
In a world where tower blocks are stone mountains and city walls are urban tapestries retelling epic fights, Michael keeps away from the warring tribes until a passerby helps him out of a tight situation. Instantly, he is pulled into the gang culture he has tried to escape. The city spirals out of control as battle lines are drawn but will Michael succeed in ending the war?

Notes:
part of the Almeida Festival 2012

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Fuel

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
site specific 45 min

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  two musicians

Further Reference:

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Midnight Run

Synopsis:
Not all those who wonder are lost' and Discover After Dark' are slogans that describe a typical Midnight Run, an event pioneered and hosted by award winning poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams that gathers complete strangers to play, walk, explore and reclaim the streets and hidden spaces in cities. This Midnight Run in collaboration with Bush Theatre, will begin at the theatre at 5.45pm and explore the surrounding neighbourhoods, basketball courts, playgrounds, courtyards and parks until midnight. Participants' are advised to dress for the weather, bring a pen, money for food and above all a healthy sense of adventure. In the motto below, star' can be taken literally or as a metaphor for city dwellers, where it takes on a beauty and importance:

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Radar Festival 2013

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
site specific

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Playlist - New Plays Inspired by Festive Tunes

Synopsis:
-

Notes:
This Christmas, Theatre503 presents a special festive edition of its ever-popular PLAYlist. Eight new plays by eight writers, each inspired by a song.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Reset Everything

Synopsis:
avoid the bedroom tax by blowing up the bedroom

Notes:
In four years, Theatre Uncut has become established as one of the Fringe highlights. With a serious political agenda and a fund of excellent playwrights, it succeeds far more often than makes sense given its brief to create rapid response pieces. The first programme in 2014 gave the writers a theme of "Knowledge is power. Knowledge is change". The company also sought a fresh venture and the intention is to develop the five short pieces (average 15 minutes) into a single play that will eventually tour. In the meantime, Hannah Price directed a quartet of actors in the Traverse Bar. Each of Jade Anouka, Nalini Chetty, Finn den Hertog and Iain Robertson has several moments to shine during an enjoyable and challenging 75 minutes.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short reading

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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Spalding Suite, The

Spalding Suite, The
Spoken word & physical theatre. The Spalding Suite gets to the heart and soul of the gravity-defying game of basketball and delves into the hopes and dreams of those who play it. Yawo and his friends Archie, Tom, Matt and Jay play basketball together. They yearn for the god-like abilities of their basketball heroes and for their seemingly impossible power to shake off their physical restrictions, defy gravity and fly. Fresh poetry switches between witty, reflective and mythic moods as the five explore what it means to be a team and experience the aching highs and lows of the game. The show's choreography reflects the precision of basketball moves and reveals the beauty and effort behind the speed and dynamism.

Notes:
Music by renowned DJ Eric Lau and live soundscape by UK Champion and World Finalist beatboxer MC Zani complete the mood.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
-

1st Published:
Oberon Books, London   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
physical theatre show

Parts:
Male:  6            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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This is Us

Synopsis:
In what is a deliberate depressing black comedy, Inua Ellams takes us into a family's bedroom with a widower and his two adult children. Its primary political target appears to be the bedroom tax and its explosive solution drastic, to say the least.

Notes:
In four years, Theatre Uncut has become established as one of the Fringe highlights. With a serious political agenda and a fund of excellent playwrights, it succeeds far more often than makes sense given its brief to create rapid response pieces. The first programme in 2014 gave the writers a theme of "Knowledge is power. Knowledge is change". The company also sought a fresh venture and the intention is to develop the five short pieces (average 15 minutes) into a single play that will eventually tour. In the meantime, Hannah Price directed a quartet of actors in the Traverse Bar. Each of Jade Anouka, Nalini Chetty, Finn den Hertog and Iain Robertson has several moments to shine during an enjoyable and challenging 75 minutes.

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Theatre Uncut

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short reading

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Turned

Synopsis:
Playwrights Inua Ellams, Neil LaBute, Bola Agbaje, Clare Bayley, Lydia Adetunji and Pedro Miguel Rozo have joined forces with a team of scientists to present the world premiere of Mouthful, a series of plays tackling the global food crisis, at the Trafalgar Studios in September. Forming the centrepiece of Metta Theatre's 10th anniversary celebrations, the project follows four very different individuals. Sebastian is travelling to Nigeria in search of his steak-loving missing friend, GoGo is sacrificing everything for a glass of water, Erica is trying to win her daughter's affections with the rare delicacy of the last potato and Rashida just wants to eat her chocolate bar in peace. Directed by Poppy Burton-Morgan, the politically provocative piece was produced in collaboration with six of the world's top scientists  Professors Tim Benton, Kamal Bawa, Suzanne Filteau, Ilkka Hanski, Molly Jahn and Tim Lang  and aims to explore the global food crisis in a theatrically imaginative production. Talking about the project, Professor Benton, UK Champion for Global Food Security, said: "Our food impacts on our health and well-being, the planet's well-being and our eating habits affect the livelihoods of others throughout the world. Mouthful innovatively explores our food system and the way our demand may affect our futures."

Notes:
in collaboration with Professor kamal Bawa

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Meta Theatre

1st Published:
-   

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
short play

Parts:
Male:  2            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Untitled

Untitled
To name something is to call it into life, to determine its future. If we let our children name themselves, will they author their own destinies? Will the nameless ones be free? Untitled is a magical realist story set in Nigeria and england, of identical twin boys separated at infancy. In the quarrel after the marred naming ceremony, the mother grabs the titled child and flees, leaving the unnamed brother to lead an impetuous, chaotic, blasphemous existence until the spirits of the land make their stand.

Notes:
-

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Fuel

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Piece

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  -            Other:  -

Further Reference:

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