Aviatrix

Bringing together artists from Iran, Palestine and the UK, Aviatrix takes a microscope to the now fragmented landscape that pioneering aviator Amy Johnson saw from above. Present day: A Palestinian actor, Hadi, boards a plane to London to perform in a theatrical production commemorating the life of British aviator, Amy Johnson and her record breaking solo flight from the UK to Australia. Whilst mid-flight the British government impose a ban on citizens of Muslim majority countries entering the country, and Hadi is on the list. 1930: Amy Johnson is forced to land her plane in a sandstorm and is found by Iraqi engineer Muhammad Al-Baghdadi. From the confines of his detention cell Hadi begins rehearsing his scenes as a distraction. Jasminder, the immigration officer in charge of his case, watches him through the glass of a one-way mirror trying to ascertain whether he is a legitimate threat. As Hadi flits between the 1930s and invasive airport security checks in the present, an uncomfortable parallel starts to emerge between the two worlds; but in one he has agency, and the other he does not.

Performed in English and Arabic with a nerve shaking soundtrack produced by Iranian experimental electronic duo 9T Antiope. A work-in-progress performance