For its final show of 2024, AUB Productions will presented Emilia! at the Studio Theatre on campus at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).
The play by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm centres around Emilia Lanier, the first woman to assert herself as a professional poet, who in 1611 published a volume of poems under the guise of religious text to pass the censor.
It also celebrates those historically excluded from the narrative, promoting inclusivity of race and gender by giving voice to perspectives traditionally silenced.
AUB Productions is a collaborative effort, bringing industry professionals together with AUB students from BA (Hons) Acting, BA (Hons) Costume, BA (Hons) Design for Costume and Performance, and BA (Hons) Make-up for Media and Performance courses.
On this occasion, the students have worked with West End director Mumba Dodwell, herself an AUB alumna who graduated from the BA (Hons) Acting course in 2015.
“The growth in confidence and self has been really memorable to see in the students,” Mumba says. “Encouraging them to connect with the joy but be confident in showing up to the hard stuff.”
Mumba calls the production, “witty, cheeky and ensemble heavy,” and one that gives a voice to a woman and others whose work and voice weren't traditionally preserved.
“Firstly, Emilia in this production is portrayed as a black woman, which both writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and director Nicole Charles have seamlessly made relevant to women past and present,” she explains.
“The desire to be seen as equal and to be given the same space and platform is something I continuously fight for and many other black women do.
“The UK has only ever had three black women debut their plays in the West End, which is appalling. In this play, we hear Emilia fight to see herself be recognised as a writer; fighting to be seen, but has to bend her voice to fit the world she lives in.
“Working with Mumba Dodwell has been an amazing experience,” says BA (Hons) Acting student Kimberley Mswaka, who plays the titular Emilia.
“She ensured we had a voice and were comfortable with everything in the rehearsal process. If there is something that I’ve learnt, it is to not be afraid to take up the stage and to not feel like you must be stuck in one place.”
“The show is amazing, hilarious, and powerful. The production process has been challenging, but so much fun. I feel that I have learnt a lot throughout the process; not only with the show but also with my character, Emilia – I am so grateful to have this role and journey with her.”
Playing Emilia 2, BA (Hons) Acting's Michelle Sakyi says it was easy to embody her role.
"We share the similar passion of wanting our voices to be heard in a world where we are marginalised and discriminated against for being black and a woman," she explains. "I obviously had to be careful with these similarities because the problems that we both face are still ongoing and very personal so I had to understand how to separate her struggles from mine.
"The most fun moments were working with the other members of the cast. Each individual in the cast is filled with so much talent and passion that it was so easy and such a pleasure to share the stage with them. There was never a dull moment, especially with the river woman!"
Meanwhile, Annika Bryan portrays Emilia 3, the oldest version of the character in the show and, in the performer's words, "a powerful character that took time to fully understand."
"She spends much of the show observing her younger self experience life. Exploring her feelings of nostalgia and longing was essential to developing the character. I felt so lucky to be able to tell her story night after night.
"Emilia 3 delivers a powerful speech at the end, which was emotionally challenging for me as an actor, because I connected so deeply with the message. Immediately after that, the entire cast took part in a big dance and celebration. It was a great way to release all the emotion. It gave us a chance to let go of our characters and come together as a company to enjoy the moment and the emotional journey we all went on together during the show."
Now in their final year at AUB, Kimberley, Michelle and Annika all have some idea of their plans after they graduate in 2025.
"I am American, but I plan on staying in England to further my acting career after graduation," Michelle says. "Being here has helped me develop in my craft beyond anything I could have ever imagined doing. I believe staying here will only help me grow towards a promising career in the acting industry especially with all the amazing young actors and filmmakers I have met here through networking. I have an aunt in London who isn’t sick of me yet, so that will be my next destination after graduation."
Annika also plans to move to London to take her first steps in the industry as an actor, saying, "I'm excited to embrace the opportunities ahead and see where this journey will take me!"
Meanwhile, Kimberley plans to tackle both acting and scriptwriting after completing her studies at AUB.
Emilia! opened at AUB Campus’ Studio Theatre on Thursday 5 December, running until Saturday 7 December.
