Friends - A favour to ask - Old friend and neighbour of mine from Ballsbridge days, Poorna Jagannathan is bringing this play to Dublin - This will never get the attention that the #GarthBrooks event/non-event has but it is infinitely more important and worthy of attention - Read the articles linked below, but for a flavour this is what it is all about:
Remember the story of: 'Jyoti Singh Pandey, who was returning from the cinema with a male friend, was viciously gang-raped by six men, including the driver of the bus, before they were mugged, stripped and thrown from the moving vehicle, which they then allegedly tried to back over Pandey, who died from her injuries 13 days later. The stop from which she and her friend had boarded the bus was directly opposite Poorna's old house.
"I felt that I could have been her, on that bus, in so many ways and my mind was unable to process the information printed later in the press."
She contacted the South African playwright Yael Farber, whose testimonial play about Apartheid, 'Amajuba', she had greatly admired. "I am a victim of sexual violence," Poorna told her via Facebook, "who has been silent all these years. By keeping quiet, I consider myself a part of what happened on that bus. Come here. Women in India are ready to break their silence and speak. There is no turning back." (Source - Irish Independent Weekend Magazine 5th July2014 - Interview with Caomhan Keane)
The play is on in Pavilion DL (Pavillion Theatre DunLaoghaire) from 21st July - 2nd August and has won awards worldwide for its powerful depiction of this issue and the women who have been and continue to be abused not only in India but worldwide - Please share this via whatever media you can and come along if you can to see this most important work and brave witness:
Irish Independent - The Violence of Silence
Pavillion Theatre - Nirbhaya
Praise for Nirbhaya
"One of the most powerful and urgent pieces of human rights theatre ever made"
★★★★★ The Herald
"Powerful and incredibly moving"
★★★★★The Independent
"One of the most powerful pieces of theatre you’ll ever see"
★★★★★ The Telegraph
Awards: Fringe First | Herald Angel | Amnesty International Freedom of Expression
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