‘One thing makes me a moth to a flame. Oneness.
The missing piece…I’ve got to find it, because if not, if not…’
Anastasia Osei-Kuffour, director, writer, poet and producer makes her playwriting debut in Love Steps, a production supported by Talawa Theatre Company and premiering at Omnibus Theatre for 3 weeks.
West-End star Sharon Rose and Sex Education’s Reece Richards (Netflix) have been cast. Both actors have starred in major productions on stage and screen with Rose acclaimed for her titular role in the Oliver-nominated Sylvia (Old Vic) as well as cast in Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix), while Richards’ solid stage credentials include hit shows Motown and Hairspray.
Meet Anna. She is ‘young, gifted and Black’, surviving in a turbulent world but there is one thing that’s missing: love. Through a fusion of drama, poetry, dance and music (R&B, Hip Hop, Gospel) we see Anna take her Love Steps and redefine love on her own terms.
This ‘choreopoem’-inspired show shines a light on the pressures placed on people to find a significant other and questions whether finding love defines one’s identity and if self-worth and self-esteem can exist outside of that?
Commenting on her semi-autobiographical work, which also explores Black female identity, Anastasia says: “When I was younger, I struggled to identify with romantic love represented in mainstream theatre, TV and film.
“I rarely saw myself reflected in those stories or in stereotypical beauty industry images.
“I wrote Love Steps to counter skewed cultural messages, highlight the turbulent love journeys people experience and hopefully inspire greater understanding for others.
“Drawing on my own experience for inspiration adds an authenticity I hope will move audiences and allow people to see themselves in what is essentially a story with universal themes.”
Love Steps’ creative team also includes performer and choreographer Leroy ‘FX’ Dias Dos Santos (La Traviata, Aida for Welsh National Opera) member of street dance sensation Flawless (finalists in ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent which also featured in movies including Street Dance 3D and The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, Paralympic Opening Ceremony).
Omnibus Theatre from 3 Apr – 20 Apr 2024 (Previews 3 & 4 Feb). Times: Tues – Sat at 7.30pm (Sun 4pm)Tickets: From £16
Booking Link: https://www.omnibus-clapham.org/love-steps/
Talawa Studio Theatre, Fairfield Halls from 29 May – 1 June 2024.
