The 14th Tale

Written and performed by Inua Ellams, visiting the Cottesloe Theatre for 10 performances only. It is directed by Thierry Lawson, with lighting by Michael Nabarro.

The 14th Tale is a free-flowing narrative that tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to rooftops in Dublin, and finally to London.

Inua Ellams vividly recreates the characters that punctuate his upbringing in deft and beautiful poetry, while challenging the audience’s expectations of what it is to be a young, black male in London today.

Inua Ellams was born in Nigeria in 1984 and moved to the UK as a teenager. His work merges visual art, spoken word and theatre. He has performed in a wide variety of venues including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Tate Modern, The Albany, The Drum, Theatre Royal Stratford, Glastonbury and Latitude. He is working on a second collection of poems, following the publication of his first, Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales, which was supported by Arts Council England.

The 14th Tale is a BAC Scratch Commission with Apples & Snakes. A London World Festival Commission, funded by Arts Council England.