Description
Split/Mixed
Ery Nazaramba
About the Book
The genocide in Rwanda shocked the world. Back then, Ery Nzaramba was only a teenager and his family’s escape to Europe turned him into a “survivor”. How should he now respond to questions about who he is and where he comes from?
In this autobiographical one-man play, performed to acclaim on the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the author journeys back to his Rwandan childhood. With the help of a cassette player, he brings to life nearly a dozen characters, exploring memories of kinship, cultural attitudes and personal identity. Both funny and poignant, the play highlights not only the intolerance that can breed violence and war but also the importance of power and privilege in the struggle for survival.
Reviews
“Hilarious, harrowing and acutely moving… [An] essential, coruscating work”
— **** The Stage
“An extraordinary one-man play … deeply moving, even harrowing at times. But it is also extremely funny…”
— www.wordswithjam.co.uk
About the author
Ery Nzaramba left Rwanda to settle in Belgium in 1994. Ten years later he moved to the UK for an acting career. In 2014 Ery started working with director Peter Brook and long-time collaborator Marie-Hélène Estienne, featuring in world tours of Battlefield and The Suit. Ery has been awarded two Grants for the Arts by Arts Council England and an Arvon Grant for his writing. He has written and directed short films; Split/Mixed is his first piece written for theatre. He wrote the first draft in 2013 and was invited to perform it in New York, Berlin and Belfast. The play continued to be developed and its current version premiered to critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2016.
