East to West (WIP)

East to West is a queer love story told in rhymed spoken word, whose protagonists are based on opposite sides of London. Nell, an aspiring poet and part-time teacher, looks through dating apps for a balm for the isolation induced by chronic illness. Asha sizes up East London’s cool trendiness against her native Mumbai and misses the family she left behind there, from whom her queer identity remains a secret. When Asha and Nell connect on a dating app, mutual excitement and a whirlwind date create a pull to spend more together. Yet the pressures they each face are stacking up in a city whose fabric is becoming increasingly tense, frayed and hostile. As the political climate seeping in via their Instagram feeds triggers despair, can love be a safe space from the world’s bared teeth? And what will love do when those forces are no longer felt merely as soundbytes, but come knocking at the door?

This is a work-in-progress viewing, with audience feedback welcomed to contribute towards the play’s further development. An extract from East to West was performed at Crossroads Scratch Night by SoulSpire Arts.