Child-marriage drama AISHA, which plays at a trio of London venues this winter, does not shy away from the harrowing realities of a horrendous situation. Neither do the two short trailers created by its writer, director and producer AJ. Have a watch – be warned, they are disturbing – then book your tickets for this vital piece of theatre.
Staged by AJ’s company, Ailia, the mini-tour begins from 3 to 8 December 2018 at the Old Red Lion Theatre, moving on to the King’s Head Theatre (9 to 10 December) and ending at the Tristan Bates Theatre (4 to 5 January 2019).
AISHA tells the story of a 14-year-old girl whose parents force her to marry a 51-year-old man. Aisha is sold for an expensive bride-price that her parents use to better themselves while they abandon their daughter. It is an act they justify using cultural and religious traditions. Aisha’s husband is sadistic and abusive. She cannot leave the house, communicate with the outside world, or even wash herself on a regular basis. She is denied every human right. How will she cope?
The play was first seen at the Hen & Chickens Theatre in 2017. Afridiziak said of that production: “By not sugarcoating the reality of underage child brides – by presenting the topic in a clear, honest and technically strong way – the writer/director AJ has done his job,” while View From The Cheap Seats called it “engrossing”.
The piece, which is written in modern verse, has been altered since last year. At the Hen & Chickens Theatre it was staged with an ensemble cast. This year it is staged as a one-woman play. Former Young Major of Newham, Alex Jarrett, takes the title role. Her previous stage roles include Boyz and Gyals at Theatre Royal Stratford East and Hacktivists at the National Theatre. She also appeared in the London Olympics Opening Ceremony and will feature in the upcoming BBC miniseries, Les Misérables.
The Home Office estimates that between 5,000 and 8,000 young people a year are at risk of forced marriage. In 2017, almost 1,200 cases of forced marriage were reported to the government’s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), and of these, more than 25% involved victims under the age of 18. In the 2017 report published by the Home Office and Foreign Office, which runs the FMU, the departments stress: “Forced marriage is a hidden crime, and these figures may not reflect the full scale of the abuse.”
Watch the trailers…
The first new trailer for AISHA features a child bride clutching a teddy while stood alone and abandoned, objects from her life strewn about her:
The second trailer is harrowing and not for the faint of heart as the action it depicts – though not explicitly – is of an adult and abusive nature. The trailer, like the show, pulls no punches when it comes to tackling the realities of child marriage.
