An Evening with an Immigrant

Born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother in what is now considered by many to be Boko Haram territory, award-winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams left Nigeria for England in 1996 aged 12, moved to Ireland for three years, before returning to London and starting work as a writer and graphic designer.

Part of this story was documented in his autobiographical Fringe First Award-winning play The 14th Tale, but much of it is untold. Littered with poems, stories, and anecdotes, Inua tells his ridiculous, fantastic, poignant immigrant-story of escaping fundamentalist Islam, experiencing prejudice and friendship in Dublin, performing solo at the National Theatre, and drinking wine with the Queen of England, all the while without a country to belong to or place to call home.

As part of the act of sharing stories and experiences of migration and global human movement across borders, An Evening with an Immigrant will coincide with Refugee Week 2021.

The show is being presented in partnership with multiple venues from across the UK including: the Albany, ArtsDepot, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Coombe Farm Studios, Curve Theatre, Derby Theatre, Leeds Playhouse, Lyceum Theatre, Lyric Theatre Belfast, Norwich Arts Centre, Omnibus Theatre, Pound Arts, Rose Theatre, and Stratford Circus. Free tickets will be available to schools and community groups who support refugees, via Fuel’s Community Ticket Scheme, delivered in partnership with each partner venue.

An Evening with an Immigrant was filmed at The Bridge Theatre in November 2020, and is presented on Fuel Digital. English captions are available. Written and Performed by Inua Ellams. Music Selection by DJ Sid Mercutio.