TTW, Bocas Lit Fest host ‘HeLa’ production

HeLa is a lead up to the fourth NGC Bocas Literature Festival on April 23-27 and is part of the British Council’s Momentum Project, which was launched in August 2013 during the Edinburgh International Festival. The aim of the Momentum Project is to cross-fertilise the arts internationally.

HeLa tells the story of Henrietta Lacks who walks into the coloured section of a hospital in Baltimore in 1951 with a pain in her abdomen. A cell sample taken without her permission was used as the raw material for some of the most important scientific discoveries of the past century. This solo show featuring Adura Onashile takes as its inspiration the true life story of Henrietta Lacks and the extraordinary life of the HeLa cell line. HeLa comes to local audiences following a successful presentation at Edinburgh Festival. It was the winner of the “Flying Artichoke Award,” and was nominated for the Total Theatre Award and Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award 2013.

Adura Onashile is a writer and charismatic performer with diverse experience in political, verbatim, site-specific and physical theatre. She has worked with companies including the National theatre of Scotland, National theatre, Urban Theatre Projects, Australia’s foremost site specific company, Chicago Shakespeare company, St Anne’s Warehouse, The LIFT festival, The Clod Ensemble, The Belarus Free Theatre and Vox Motus. Adura has toured internationally with both the Foreign Commonwealth Office and the British Council.

Trinidad Theatre Workshop is the recipient if over 20 Cacique Awards from the National Drama Association of Trinidad and Tobago for excellence in theatre, including a Lifetime Achievement Award for Artistic and Managing Director, Albert Laveau. TTW was founded in 1959 by Nobel Laureate, Derek Walcott and is the icon in the industry for producing excellent, local work that meets an international standard.

For further information call TTW at 624-8502 or email trinidadtheatre@gmail.com.