This month I will be talking to a few acts that are taking part in the Peckham Fringe. Today I speak to Director Ozioma Ihesiene about the show Hair That Defies Gravity.

Location: Theatre Peckham
Date: 1st and 2nd June
Time: 19:30 / 15:30 and 19:30
Ticket Price: £7.50
Link: https://theatrepeckham.line-up.tickets/event/3447?date=2024-06

Tell us about your act?

‘Hair That Defies Gravity’ is an exploration of how we identify beauty as a black woman. As we delve into the stories of 6 black females in the salon, we begin to realise their beauty is subconsciously defined by their insecurity. This poses the question of “to what extent will you go for you to feel “beautiful” or from a reality check perspective would say, “to be seen.”

How did you come up with the name of your show that you are taking to the Peckham fringe?

Joy Adeogun is a talented writer. Before I asked her what was the inspiration for the title, having said it aloud, I instantly envisioned the picture. She was imagining a black woman’s puffy afro hair literally defying gravity, standing tall, showing off that black girl magic. Cause how do we do it?

Tell us a little bit about your style of show.

The show is a tragedy presented in a lyrical rhythm of spoken word which we have woven into the threads of our African-centric music and drums, accompanied with the the curl pattern of absurd movement, resembling the tight curls that defy gravity. So basically an experimental tragedy. 

How are the rehearsals going?

So great! We completed a table read with discussions, unpacking our first thoughts. As a director, I prioritised one-to-one meetings exploring the individual arcs of the characters to understand their climax and then collate everyone’s journey into one diagram to identify the tensions and peak points within the duration of the play. As there are 2 worlds in this piece, we began workshopping the worlds and identifying the principalities of each one. I am excited to play games with the cast in character to discover the nuances and build relationships outside the world of the play because these characters are real. 

What advice would you give to others who want to perform at Peckham Fringe next year?

    1.  Make sure you have a team, by God’s grace He provided my company Blk Ink Productions, with which we have been able to distribute workload to ensure quality results.

2. What are you waiting for? Tell me. What’s the worst response you can get? A no. And have you got that yet? No, so there’s no excuse! 

What is the best thing about performing at the Peckham Fringe?

I know you said the best but I have two! Firstly the cast is so talented and well-rounded, very grateful to collaborate with them on this amazing play. Secondly, honestly the growth. The first time I was here, I directed “Before I Go by Tobi Bakare, then it got transferred to Camden People’s Theatre, then Brixton House. This was my directorial debut. I feel like I’m doing another as this will be my first time with a full cast. But by the Grace of God, it will be incredible. This is just the beginning of this narrative! I am excited at the platform Theatre Peckham is offering us. 

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

My personal: 

Ig: ozioma_xo

TikTok: ozioma_xo

My production company 

Ig: blkinkproductions

Tik Tok: blkinkproductions

Finally, finish this sentence – ‘you should see our show at Peckham Fringe because…

I know you’ve enjoyed watching the black men open up, what’s stopping you from hearing the black female voice now? Nothing? So I’ll see you there on the 1st and 2nd of June .