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DENIED by Jodi De Souza
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Edinburgh Festival 2007
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DENIED AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL 2007

The World Premier of DENIED was staged at

 C cubed, venue 50, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Thursday 2 August to Monday 27 August 2007 20:15

CLICK HERE FOR AN AFTERSHOW INTERVIEW WITH THE CAST
Reviews

Scotsfestival (The Flipside Review)

'Denied' by the Humble Theatre Company is a culturally challenging, thought provoking exploration of the multitude of misconceptions, misunderstandings, falsehoods and factual cultural differences which separate communities at an ethnic and racial level as caused by a basic lack of communication and dialog.

Outstanding 5 star performances across the cast ensured the intimate drama of the sequence of events outlined in the production fairly crackled with an emotional tension which had the audience seized in the action moment by moment.  

Shocking, provoking and daring to ask questions which many people from across the ethnic communities of the UK feel need to be asked - no matter how uncomfortable the asking might be - in order to facilitate a greater understanding and integration across the ethnic and religious sections of our society - Denied is a courageous attempt to use the medium of theatre to create dialog, promote debate and foster communication between Western and Islamic cultures.

 

The Stage

…An ambitious human drama that makes for compelling viewing, thanks to a focused and generous ensemble and a zippy array of dramatic devices….

The Scotsman

“Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all these terrorists are Muslims." In this controversial piece Jodi De Souza explores Islam, radicalism and the treatment of Muslim women at the hands of their menfolk. The play starts promisingly, comparing UK-born daddy's girl Franchesca (Jennifer Bryden) to abused Muslim wife Sana (De Souza) from Boluchistan. While Franchesca yells at her father, Sana pursues a touching secret relationship with love interest Mohammad. When both women fall pregnant, a series of events is set in place that brings their lives and worlds together, as De Souza boldly demands to see evidence of the mainstream moderate Islamism so often referred to in the media.

"Don't we get time to clap?" wonders a man on his way out. No, this play prefers for you to go away and think instead.

Broadway Baby

…The issues explored in De Souza’s play are important, especially the extent of the horror of honour killings – 5000 last year, 12 of them in the UK. Her script makes a good case both for why people become anti-Muslim and why they become anti-West and ultimately turn to suicide bombing….

Three Weeks

East meets West in this play that explores a range of issues, pertinent in today's political climate: Islam, terrorism and the role of women are all addressed against a pre and post 9/11 backdrop in both Baluchistan and London. The acting is of a high calibre - particularly that of the young and old Franchesca (Jennifer Bryden and Emma Vale respectively), while the scenes of domestic violence are heart-wrenching. There are also several successful scenes where the two worlds collide, portraying parallel situations in their different communities….

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