Jermyn Street Theatre: HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM & I’M YOUR ROPE by Somebody Jones & Khadifa Wong

After mounting a successful Zoom production recommended by The Guardian, playwright Somebody Jones and director Khadifa Wong are back with two enchanting pieces, HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM and I’M YOUR ROPE – both of which are being presented in-person and online as a part of the Jermyn Street Theatre’s upcoming Footprints Festival from 1-10 June 2021.

HOW I LEARNED TO SWIM (Solo performance strand)

Jamie wants to start swimming lessons. Which is not unusual, except for the fact that she just turned 30. Attempting to find closure after her brother’s disappearance, she decides it’s time to face her fear. This coming-of-adulthood story explores Black people’s relationship to water, while finally answering the question: Are there really sharks in the deep end of the pool?

Cast: Merryl Ansah JAMIE

I’M YOUR ROPE (Work-in-Progress in the Showcases Push and Pull performance strand)

Simeon and Lilah’s relationship is like a game of tug of war. But sometimes, one of them is the rope. In a

forest that’s a little more magical than the ones in our world, Simeon and Lilah finally decide what they’re going to be: friends, BEST friends, lovers, or something a little more complicated.

Cast: Martina Laird LILAH

Owen Chaponda SIMEON

Creatives: Somebody Jones PLAYWRIGHT

Khadifa Wong DIRECTOR

Jessie Mckenzie DESIGNER

Company Information:

Somebody Jones graduated in January 2020 from the MA Dramaturgy and Writing for Performance program at Goldsmiths University of London. The playwright’s most recent work includes BLACK WOMEN DATING WHITE MEN (Hollywood Fringe Festival, Fringe of Colour, SOS Theatre Fest, Son of Semele, Offbeat Oxford, and East of Edinburgh). Jones’s material celebrates the charms and complexities of Black culture.

Khadifa Wong was born in London and trained professionally in Dance at London Studio Centre. After a ten-year career in Dance she moved into Acting, Producing, and Directing. Credits include: The Woman

Who Knocked On My Door, Mondays, Luna Park (Short Film), BLACK WOMEN DATING WHITE MEN (The

Drayton Arms Theatre), and Uprooted – The Journey of Jazz Dance (Feature film).

Listings Information: