Anupama Chandrasekhar’s play is an onslaught of misogyny, violence against women and shock tactics, which leads to an unsettling, if a little glib, two hours of drama. Ibsen’s Ghosts is one of the entities that inspire the narrative, particularly focusing in this instance on a father’s sins. The true story of the girl gang-raped in Delhi, India in 2012 is another inspiration. It’s a heavy evening, filled with bold decisions and potent symbolism.
Courtesy of Mark Douet.
The power of a monologue, if written and executed well is undeniable. To have the skill set to establish a world perhaps unknown, or even familiar and enlighten the audience with a character’s ideals, beliefs, thought processes and emotions is commendable. Hijabi Monologues employs this method of telling various stories; its aim- to dismantle certain myths that surround Muslim women.
As a teen, we’re at odds with the world. We’re no longer a child, and therefore refuse to be conned by the fairytales and feigned truths that once gripped our imaginations. We begin to fight the opinions of our nearest and dearest, whilst coming to grips with both physiological and emotional changes, let alone educational expectation. Add the universal feeling of struggling with identity and contending with societal expectation and there you have a recipe for complete and utter emotional mayhem. This is a rite of passage that Meera Syal‘s 1997 novel, Anita and Me manages to warmly encapsulate.
