Nine Lives

by Zodwa Nyoni

Presented by Leeds Studio in association with West Yorkshire Playhouse

One man and a suitcase filled with the past, uncertainty, high heels, brokenness, African dancing shells and hope.

Fleeing from his home in Zimbabwe where a fresh wave of homophobia threatens his life, Ishmael has sought sanctuary in the UK.  Dispersed to Leeds, Ishmael waits to hear his fate, he waits for a new life to begin amongst strangers.  Strangers who don’t trust him and don’t want him there.  But not everyone is bad… can he find a place to call home again?

Some of us wanted to stop being afraid.
Some of us wanted to find ourselves.
Some of us wanted to belong.

Zodwa Nyoni (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Channel 4 Writer in Residence 2014) threads together humour and humanity to tell the real personal story behind asylum headlines.

Check out the short BBC documentary on Nine Lives