‘I was struck by the scope of Inua’s epic poem’: Rakie Ayola appears in The Half God of Rainfall at the Kiln Theatre

In Features, Interviews, London theatre, Plays by Emma ClarendonLeave a Comment

The actress chatted to us about her current role in The Half God of Rainfall.

Could you explain more about what The Half God of Rainfall is about?
The play is about Half God Demi, his mortal mother Modupé and how their lives are affected by the Nigerian-Órisà Gods and the Greek-Olympian Gods. It’s about love, fame, abuse of power, female solidarity, toxic masculinity, revenge, redemption, major league basketball and rain.

What were your initial impressions of the play when you first read it?
I was struck by the scope of Inua Ellams’ epic poem, how relevant the themes are, the use of language, the 12 syllables on every line.

How are you feeling about performing at the Kiln Theatre?
I last worked there on King Hedley II during the snowy winter of 2002 so I’m looking forward to be performing in the now beautifully refurbished theatre.

What are you most looking forward to about performing this play?
I’m looking forward to sharing Inua’s extraordinary piece.

How are you finding working with director Nancy Medina?
I’m loving working with Nancy. Her insight, scrutiny, creative rigour, empathy, honesty, kindness, generosity and warmth have made rehearsing this play an absolute joy.

If people are coming along – what can they expect?
People should expect an epic poem, old school story-telling, a myriad of characters and two actors.

The Half God of Rainfall runs at the Kiln Theatre from 25 April to 17 May 2019.

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Emma Clarendon
Emma Clarendon studied drama through A-Level before deciding she was much better suited to writing about theatre than appearing onstage. She’s written for a number of online publications ever since, including The News Hub and Art Info. Emma set up her own blog, Love London Love Culture, in April 2015 and tweets at LoveLDNLoveCul.
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Emma Clarendon on FacebookEmma Clarendon on InstagramEmma Clarendon on RssEmma Clarendon on Twitter
Emma Clarendon
Emma Clarendon studied drama through A-Level before deciding she was much better suited to writing about theatre than appearing onstage. She’s written for a number of online publications ever since, including The News Hub and Art Info. Emma set up her own blog, Love London Love Culture, in April 2015 and tweets at LoveLDNLoveCul.

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