After an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe, Jade Anouka is taking her debut play HEART to Brixton House. This captivating production presents a raw and intimate exploration of the realities of complex relationships, and navigates love, loss and self-discovery through mesmerising storytelling and music. Told through a blend of poetry and electronic music, HEART is a fresh and inspiring piece of gig theatre that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.
With live music and sound design by musician and 4 time UK Beatbox champion Grace Savage, Anouka’s story is elevated by innovative beatboxing and heavy bass, which become interwoven within the play. Recounting the personal experiences as a woman shaken by the end of her marriage, the beginning of a new chapter, and the battles with her beast, HEART uncovers the beauty of human connection and self-acceptance. With Savage’s near constant backing track supporting and complimenting Anouka’s storytelling, this show presents an unmissable fusion of monologue and modern sounds.
HEART was first shown in New York, at The Minetta Lane Theatre in July 2022, before it found further critical acclaim at Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Now set to continue its success in London, this ground-breaking collaboration that seamlessly enhances Anouka and Savage’s award-winning creative talent returns to South London, where Anouka’s story began.
Winner of The Stage’s Acting Excellence Award for her performance in Chef (Edinburgh Fringe, 2014), Anouka was also given Ian Charleson Award Commendations for her performances in Julius Caesar (The Donmar Warehouse) and Hamlet (The Globe). Savage has won LGBT Feedback Film Festival’s award for Best Sound and Music and Best Score from Swindon International Independent Film Festival (Her & Her, BBC short film), as well as being shortlisted for Best Songwriter and Best Female Solo Act at the Unsigned Music Awards.
With a narrative that navigates the uplifting and heart-wrenching moments with hypnotic live musical accompaniment, HEART is a must-see for all the misfits, and for all those who have ever felt ‘other’.
Writer and performer Jade Anouka comments, I had gone through a big change in my life, and the five or so years leading up to writing HEART were full of discovery, heartache, beauty, sadness, and joy – but I hadn’t really processed it all. I’d always used poetry as a way to release feelings I felt were trapped inside or as a way to step back and look at things from a different angle, and HEART began as one long poetic spewing of feelings written in one sitting. Thankfully for everyone it has gone through many rewrites and edits; I’ve had brilliant dramaturgical support and now it’s a piece of theatre that I believe is affecting, engaging and important. It’s beyond just me now. This is for all the queers, their loved ones and those who want to be better.
I am so excited to say we finally get to bring HEART home, and where better than Brixton House Theatre in my beloved South London. And this time it’s extra special as I’m self-producing and it’s such a personal story. It’s been a long journey to get here and the live music and beatboxing from Grace Savage is going to lift this production to another level.
Previous praise for HEART:
A fleet-footed and clear-sighted debut play…The storytelling blends shades of performance poetry and rap while Savage’s sound desk punctuates beastly rumbles and celestial waves with thumping breaths. ★★★★ – The Guardian
lyrical, punchy and powerful storytelling masterpiece ★★★★★ – Creative Reviews UK
casually charismatic, effortlessly charming performer. – The New York Times
Heart is a timely reminder that sharing a live performance in the presence of a singular individual such as Anouka can be both a pleasure and a privilege. – INTO More
