TheOrator.Press (TO.P) Truly Loves The Above Production Photo of This All Female Cast Taking Their Bows At The End of The Show. It Is Very Moving. The Pride & Joy And Pure Happiness On These Womens’ Faces Clearly Reflects Just How Much Their Story Telling Meant To Them. They Know They Powerfully And Sincerely Shared Their Experiences of Medical Mis-Treatment And Personal Challenges, For The Betterment of The Medical Profession In General. Especially Breast Cancer Care For Black Women In Particular, And They Did It For Society In General And Future Generations of Patients.
The Audience, Which Included Other Patients, Breast Cancer Survivors, Family Members, Medical Professionals, And Other Actors Too, Were With Them All The Way.
This Is A Very Moving Play.
From Left To Right In Main Photo Above:
Carol Moses This Actress Is Naturally Funny & Yet She Made A Serious On Stage Appeal To The Audience (After The Last Q & A Session, Which TO.P & Simone Cohen Attended Together) That The Drive To End Breast Cancer Patient Discrimination Did Not Stop There. But Instead Carried On With Everyone Doing Their Bit. And Especially Listening To Friends, Family & Associates Effected.
Denise Pitter “Those of Us Who Are In Theatre Can Do Our Bit To Save The World”
@Laya Lewis
@Adaora Anwa (Recently Qualified As A Lawyer In Real Life So Double “Congratulations” To Her)
We Saw Them. We Heard Them. And We Felt Them. And We Were Moved By Them. And We Salute Them And The Work Black Women Rising Continue To Do. And Gilead Science Ltd Who Sponsored The Show. (See Seperate Article On Our Corporate Conciousness Page This Issue May 2023).
TheOrator.Press Would Very Much Like To Thank Simone Cohen aka @afroliciousmumma of A.M.Airwaves For Her Heartfelt, Moving And Powerful Review of This Play As A Guest Writer, We Saw “Unseen Unheard: The Untold Breast Cancer Stories Of Black Women In The UK” With Her After Our Online Magazine Was Invited To Review It By The Production’s Press Team And We Invited Her Along To Watch It With Us. We’re So Glad We Did. As A Woman Who Has Experienced Receiving A Breast Cancer Diagnosis Her Perspective Has Been Invaluable. You Can Read Her Review below.
Photos: The Play’s Production Team And Also TheOrator.Press (TO.P‘s) Photography Department
Review Edited & Pictured By TheOrator.Press (TO.P)
Five Play Performances:
Thursday 27th April 2023
Friday 28th April 2023
Saturday 29th April 2023
Tuesday 2nd May 2023
Thursday 4th May 2023
7:30pm
Empowered Women Empower Women
And
This Play Certainly Showcased That
Simone Cohen @afroliciousmumma of A.M.Airwaves
A Very Heartfelt Theatre Review Written By Guest Writer Afrolicious Mumma aka Simone Cohen @afroliciousmumma of A.M.Airwaves For TheOrator.Press. (Simone Is Pictured Above On The Right of The Peckham Theatre Banner Wearing Dressed In Green. On The Left of The Peckham Theatre Banner Is Leanne Pero Founder of Black Women Rising @leanneperoofficial.
As A Black Woman With A Lived Breast Cancer Experience, I Was Moved Profoundly By The Play.
Tears Were Running Down My Elbows (Sitting Watching Intently). There Was Gut Wrenching Laughter At The Relatable Cultural Nuances of Patois And Cancer Humour Beautifully Woven In Amongst Real Stories And The Hard-Hitting Realities of (The Numerjous Inequalities) Experienced By Black Women Needing Breast Cancer Care.
Not To Mention The Heartbreaking Statistics Confirming What Many Black Women Have Felt, Witnessed, Observed And Been Subjected Too. The Results From The Black Women Rising Survey of 100 Women Is Very Telling And Feature Throughout The Production Including The Q & A Afterwards. blackwomenrisinguk.org/100-women-survey
I Connected On So Many Levels. To See Nina Simone My Namesake Referenced During The Play And To Hear My Daughter’s Name Were Signs That I Was Where I Was Supposed To Be. A Huge Grateful Thanks Goes To TheOrator.Press For Inviting Me To See The Play Facilitating The Opportunity To Meet My REAL MODEL, Leanne Pero, CEO And Catalyst of Black Women Rising.
(In The Documentary Famous Black Britons Document Experiences of Racism).
Actor David Harewood @davidharewood Was One of A Number of Famous Faces In The House (Pictured Here Wearing Baseball Cap With 5 Members of The Cast & 2 Others Sharing The Moment (Both Standing Next To Genesis In Her T-Shirt; Cast Outlined Below). It Was Good To See So Many Men In The House And Caring About This Topic.
David Opposite With The Play’s Director @Fredrick Simon. Simon (Left) Is Also Writer, Director & Producer of Excellent, Groundbreaking, Award-Winning BBC 2 2016 4 Part TV Series ‘Black Is The New Black’
Leanne Pero Is An Award Winning Entrepreneur, Model, Former Dancer, Author, Mentor And Breast Cancer Survivor. In 2016, Leanne Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer And Founded Black Woman Rising, The Amazing Initiative To Support Black Women Living With Cancer @blackwomenrisinguk
The Heart Of The Project Lies In Its Monthly Peer-To-Peer Support Groups Which Have Grown From The Original In Person Event In South East London To Five Different Online Groups Which Support Different Sections Of The Black Community (Under 40s, 40s & Over, Newly Diagnosed, Living With Cancer And Family And Loved Ones).
In Hosting The Play Theatre Peckham State That The Mission of The Organization Is To Educate, Inspire, And Provide Opportunities For Women From The Black Community To Connect With One Another And Share Their Stories Without Fear Or Shame.
Empowered Women Empower Women, And This Play Certainly Showcased That.
What Struck Me Most About The Play Was The Representation And Allieship. Finally, Black Women Were Being Seen And Heard In A Way That Was Authentic And Raw.
The Self-Funded Research Conducted By Black Women Rising Was The First Of Its Kind, And It Was A Call To Action For Change. The Impressive Panel Of Experts Further Drove Home The Message That Change Is Needed.
From The Casting Director Ali Anselmo To The Dramatherapist Samantha Adams And Stage Manager Timesha Mathurin Everyone Played Their Part In Bringing This Production To Life.
The Creatives Including Playwright Naomi Denny @naomidenny (On Twitter), Co-Directors Simon Frederick And Suzann Mclean Set Designer And Costume Designer Emma Wee Sound Designer Holly Khan – www.hollykhan.com And Lighting Designer Pablo Fernandez, Ultimately Created An Engaging, Empathetic, Immersive, Educational And Entertaining Experience. This Was Not Easy To Do Given The Very Sensitive Subject Matter. But This Production Was Excellent.
The Cast Was Immeasurably Brilliant, And Each Actor Brought A Unique Perspective To A Tough Subject That Impacts So Many Women And Their Friends And Families. Carol Moses Portrayed Dorah, Denise Pitter Played Pauline, @Laya Lewis Represented Ruth, @Adaora Anwa Played Aliyah, Yvonne Gidden Portrayed Sonya, Genesis Lynea @GenesisLynea Played Lily,
The Producers Made The Play As Affordable As Possible By Making Tickets Free Of Charge With A Suggested Donation Of £7.50 Which Would Be Donated To @Black Women Rising. This Was A Great Way To Reach Out To People From All Communities And Afford Them Access To Play.
Plus It Is Reported That There Was A Generous And Collaborative Agreement Within The Production Team That The Remaining Donations Would Be Split Between Both Charities Black Women Rising And Theatre Peckham.
This Play Was Commissioned And Funded By Gilead Sciences Ltd And Was Presented By Theatre Peckham In Association With Black Women Rising. www.gilead.co.uk Gilead Deserve Special Recognition For This Commission. [See TheOrator.Press ‘Corporate Consciousness’ Article Also In This Month’s Edition Wherein We Take A Closer Look At This Laboratory Company.]
Overall, “Unseen Unheard” Was A Truly Inspiring Production That Left A Lasting Impression On Me. It Was A Powerful Call To Action To Improve The Healthcare And Support Available For Black Women With Breast Cancer.
I Left The Theatre Feeling Empowered And Hopeful That Change Is Possible.
Black Women Rising Is Doing Important Work, And I Look Forward To Seeing More From Them In The Future.
Thank You All Who Contributed To This Piece. I Feel Seen And Heard. Thanks For Welcoming Me To The Community That Is Black Women Rising @blackwomenrisinguk
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