Khalaeliah’s ‘Young, Wild and Free’ affair with ‘Pen to Paper’
After the success of her play at Pen to Paper’s annual event, organisers asked playwright Khalaeliah to not only create a play for 2012’s event, but to also decide on the theme.
“I was literally gob smacked” declared Khalaeliah. “I felt immediate pressure to pick a theme that had never been done before and could be done in a variety of ways.”
The last play Khalaeliah wrote for Pen to Paper was entitled ‘Tender Loving Care’, the story of two friends and their friendship, which is put to the test when Amina’s love life takes a terrible turn for the worse.
Exploring Amina’s need to feel ‘tender love & care’ and the lengths she was willing to go to in order to attain this craved feeling, the play was received very well, gaining more laughs than expected.
“I knew the script had the potential to really grip an audience” says Khalaeliah. “The Actor & Actresses we used were amazing; so I had a feeling the audience would be compelled to fall in love with the piece”.
The Idea for the theme of 2012’s Pen to Paper and Khalaeliah’s play came from a conversation she was having with herself. Asking herself to describe relationships and analysing the changes in who she was as a person at 13 compared to 17 and who she is now at 21, the plan for the play began to take shape in her mind.
Determined to tell a different story of youth, uninvolving guns, gangs or exploiting the ‘black experience’, she thought of the best way she could encapsulate all her ideas in three words.
“Then it came to me; ‘Young, Wild and Free’ ” states Khalaeliah.
“Young, wild and free presents the youths of today and the journey into what ends up being your middle aged life. How does the once so good actress end up becoming a midwife? Or why does the once larger than life character become, the recluse? It represents and focuses on the transitions we experience as we age”.
From Khalaeliah’s latest play ‘Young, Wild and Free’ which can be seen at Pen to Paper this April, we can expect to feel as if we’re eavesdropping on an individual’s conversation with their past. You will be thoroughly entertained.
Watch Khalaeliah’s ‘Tender, Loving, Care’ below.
Time: Wed 4th Apr 2012
Venue: Dingwalls, 11 East Yard, Camden Lock, London NW1 8AF
Ticket Prices: £8 Guestlist
Info: http://www.facebook.com/pages/PEN-TO-PAPER/129525140422059
By Folashade Bello
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Well, written article! I can’t wait to see this play! I enjoyed the TLC one ‘thoroughly’