Charity theatre project V Day London is performing its annual production of The Vagina Monologues in Peckham this year.
Alongside Eve Ensler's episodic 1990s play, the group are producing a complementary piece, A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and a Prayer (monologues by Edward Albee, Susan Miller, Maya Angelou, actress Kathy Najimy and others), to raise funding and awareness for V Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls.
The production is being staged in Peckham's Bussey Building from tonight, and features a combination of professional actors and local people, some of whom have never set foot on a stage before.
This year's charities are Bede House in Southwark, which helps victims of Domestic Violence & LGBT Hate Crime, and Women and Girls of Haiti, which supports a national program in Haiti led by a coalition of women activists addressing sexual violence through art, advocacy, safe shelter and legal services.
If you're yet to see a show at The Bussey Building on Rye Lane, you're missing out. Last year we were lucky enough to see some of the Royal Court's work performed at the old cricket bat factory. Next month the Sloane Square powerhouse returns, staging Belong and Vera Vera Vera at the venue between 31 May and 28 July, as part of their Theatre Local season.
The Vagina Monologues and A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer run until 28 April at The Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, London, SE15 4ST. Visit www.vdaylondon.co.uk to find out more. Theatre Local is at the Bussey Building from 31 May until 28 July. Visit www.royalcourttheatre.com for more details.
