Inside Voices

23 TO 27 JANUARY 2019, THE PIT, VAULT FESTIVAL

Duration: 60 mins

LANguage: english

CAST: NUR KHAIRIYAH RAMLI, SITI Zuraida & SUhaili SAFARI

Director: Zhui Ning Chang
ProducerS: Deanna Dzulkifli & Nur Khairiyah Ramli
Production Stage Manager: Muslihah Mujtaba
Lighting Designer: Raycher Phua
Sound Designer: Nicola Chang

WINNER, ORIGINS AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING NEW WORK at VAULT FESTIVAL 2019

Inside Voices blends dark comedy and magic realism in its portrayal of three Southeast Asian Muslim women – Nisa, Lily and Fatimah – challenging the bounds of freedom, feminism and faith in a place that isn't home. The play is culturally specific whilst being plugged into larger conversations around Islamophobia, intersectionality and sexual freedom in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

Inside Voices played to a sold-out five-day, six-show run at VAULT Festival. It was the fastest selling show at VAULT and was chosen as a festival highlight by UK theatre critic Lyn Gardner.

Inside Voices has been described as “witty, enchanting and poignant” (Global Voices Theatre) and “funny, energising... a charismatic ensemble piece” (Nick Hern Books). It is published in the anthology Plays from VAULT 4 by Nick Hern Books.

Inside Voices was presented by Lazy Native. The cast and team behind the production was made up solely of women with Asian heritage.

SELECtED PRESS

“Nabilah has an ear for dialogue that captures the nuances of Malay humour, successfully rendered in Singaporean English to a London audience… she never loses sight of her story’s political complexity.”

SHANON SHAH, ARTSEQUATOR

"a tantalising glimpse into the lives of three Muslim Malay women... a fresh slant on some of the consciousness raising plays of the 1970s and 1980s"

Lyn Gardner, StageDoor London

"the core of this play – of female friendship, of freedom of faith, of behaving outside of oppressed social norms – is what theatre should be about."

Joanna Trainor, The Play’s The Thing UK

"this is a fresh look at a culture we rarely see on stage... an original, experimental work"

Shanine Salmon, View From The Cheap Seat

"The actors are confident and energetic, and the piece has wonderful moments of intrigue"

Edward Martin, The Spy In The Stalls

Presentation history

July 2018: Read as part of Global Female Voices at Arcola Theatre by actors Isabella Chiam, Julie Cheung-Inhin and Zara Hemati, directed by Zhui Ning Chang. It was chosen by the audience as the play they most wanted to see developed in full.

June 2018: Read at Soho Theatre by actors Sarah Agha, Syreeta Kumar and Jennifer Lim, directed by Bernadette O'Brien.