“Leaves you alert and exhilarated.” - Fringe Review
“A joy to watch.” - The Reviews Hub
“Something rare in theatre.” - WhatsOnStage on WoLab
Hannah Kumari and WoLab present ENG-ER-LAND
'Walking up to Highfield Road for the first time was mind blowing. Seeing all the other people with their shirts and scarfs, feeling like you’re part of that, feeling that excitement in the air.”
Written and performed by HANNAH KUMARI
Directed by RIKKI BEADLE-BLAIR
1997. Last year England made it to the semi-finals of Euro 96, Gina G came third in Eurovision and 13 year-old Lizzie went to her first in-person football game: Coventry vs. Manchester City. Not the Man City of today, oil and superstars, but the old Man City - a bit rubbish, but with good fans. Lizzie fell in love with the beautiful game that day, and she’s been obsessed ever since. But then something happens to make her question her place in the stands. ENG-ER-LAND is an energetic play about who’s really on your team.
Supported by The Football Supporters’ Association and with public funding from Arts Council England.
Produced by Alistair Wilkinson for WoLab
Choreography by Nadia Sohawon
Sound Design by Tingying Dong
Dramaturgy by Milli Bhatia
PR by Diana Whitehead for Fourth Wall PR
Photography by Ali Wright
Graphic Design by India Martin
Bio
Hannah Kumari is a performer, writer and producer originally from the Midlands and now based in Frome. She creates interdisciplinary work inspired by her own experiences and has been featured on BBC Sportshour, Channel 5 News and BBC Newsnight. She was recently commissioned by The Wardrobe Ensemble to develop & present a new piece of theatre. Hannah is currently making her first short film for broadcast on Sky Arts in Spring 2022, after receiving a commission from the channel in partnership with Coventry City of Culture, The Space Arts and Shoot Festival.
WoLab is a working laboratory for artists to create. They provide performance makers of all experiences, with the opportunity to have a go. WoLab trains, mentors, nurtures and creatively entitles artists, helping them discover and refine their talents, and then showcases them to the industry - leading them onto other further work and exciting opportunities. Current work in development includes: ENG-ER-LAND by Hannah Kumari, set to tour to 16 partner venues in Spring 2022; Screwdriver by Eve Cowley and Elin Schofield, heading into R&D with Sheffield Theatres in January 2022; A nightmare is witchwork by Billie Collins, in partnership with City of London School for Girls; In the Net by Misha Levkov, in partnership with Encore! New York City Centre; TIGER by Tom Kelsey, A Romantic Comedy by Tiwa Lade; We’ll Be Who We Are by Naomi Obeng; For a Palestinian by Bilal Hasna and Aaron Kilercioglu; Ostrich - a short film by Alistair Wilkinson; and The Director’s Development Fund, in partnership with Hannah Joss and Stage Directors UK. Past work includes: First Commissions (Paines Plough); The Actor-Writer Programme (Theatre N16/Bunker Theatre); Man-Cub (RADA/King’s Head); PlayList (King’s Head); happy ever after? (Bunker Theatre); and R&D’s of heavymetalsexyanimal by Sam Rees (Theatre Deli); and Asperger’s Children by Peter Machen (Trinity Laban). Twitter: @WoLaboratory