The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English

“I trip over words in English. I trip over words in Igbo.
Sometimes it feels like my tongue fails me.”

Tasha needs to tell us a story. About her life, the North West London flat where she grew up, and the houseplants she can’t keep alive. Suddenly, the distance between herself and the generations of green-fingered Igbo women that came before her feels greater than ever.

The Storyteller cuts in – she has a story to tell too. The story of Eze and the Kola tree. A story she needs us to hear. Especially now, when the tree is struggling to survive and the fruit that holds the memories of its people dating back centuries could be lost forever.

Through immersive storytelling, dance and song, The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English is a glorious celebration of self-discovery written and performed by Tania Nwachukwu (The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Arcola) that celebrates African theatre practices and proudly embraces the power of telling your own story.

An earlier version of this piece was presented by Nouveau Riche at VAULT Festival 2020.

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