Olivier Award-nominated West End actress, international director and Unity Theatre patron Josette Bushell-Mingo O.B.E. returns to Liverpool to bring this brand new play to Liverpool from 15th – 29th October 2016.
Nina – a Story about Me and Nina Simone is a theatrical explosion of rage, love, doubt and fear in a world where racism, the charge for civil rights and Nina Simone’s exceptional legacy still passionately resonate. The production is part theatre, pert gospel, part concert.
Nina – a Story about Me and Nina Simone features the iconic songs of Nina Simone, with music performed by a band of extraordinary musicians.
Performing in the U.K. for the first time in over 10 years, this is Josette’s most personal show to date: a performance that she has to give, in a production that she had to make.
Josette Bushell-Mingo said about the production, “Nina – a Story about Me and Nina Simone is about legacy. It’s about the journey from oppression to freedom; it’s a journey that still, after all these years, isn’t over. I have come to a point in my life where the increasing deaths of black men and women in police custody, openly racist & xenophobic rhetoric and the apparent institutional racist attitudes of governments and key institutions made me question how far we must go to truly gain our freedom? This led to me questioning the artist’s role in commenting on major historical events. Upon asking these questions I re-connected with Nina Simone. Not Billie Holliday, not Sarah Vaughn, not Aretha Franklin but Nina. Nina Simone. I connected with all of her; Nina’s blackness, Nina’s voice, her pain, her artistic courage and her music. I came to the conclusion that if the world was losing its way then Nina Simone is the Satnav back home.
When I began the artistic process for Nina – a Story about Me and Nina Simone, I thought that the piece was going to be about my relationship with Nina. I have found that it is much more than that. The production is about our relationship to each other, through the prism of blackness. Nina: A story about Me and Nina Simone celebrates how Nina changed the world and in turn, changed us all.
I’m proud and delighted to be openingNina – a Story about Me and Nina Simone at Unity Theatre this October. Unity Theatre was one of my first homes, in a city that I love.”
Nina Simone was one of the most extraordinary African American artists of the twentieth century and is an icon of American music. She was a consummate musical storyteller who used her remarkable talent to create a legacy of liberation, empowerment and love through a magnificent body of work.
Nina: A story about Me and Nina Simone runs from 15th-29th October, 2016 at Unity Theatre, Liverpool. Tickets can be booked via Unity Theatre’s Box Office, by calling 0151 709 4988 or viawww.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk.
Tickets are priced from £12 to £20.