Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back!
If you haven’t heard of her already, you will very soon. Aisha Jawando will be starring in the title role in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre when it reopens on the 28th July 2021. Aisha has been playing the lead role of Tina since October 2019 but before that was the alternate to the role. Prior to this, she was part of the original West End company playing the role of Tina's sister, Alline Bullock. Tina Turner is a producer herself on the show so not only does Aisha have the pressure of winning over audiences (she already has, she is wonderful in the part!). She has to also get approval from the boss lady herself. When asked about Aisha, Tina Turner said “It has been special to watch her journey with us and see the development of her extraordinary talent.”
Prior to performing in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, Aisha played the title role in Cinderella at the Hackney Empire, played Pilar in Legally Blonde for the Curve in Monaco, played Carmen in The Life at the Southwark Playhouse, was featured in the original casts of both Motown and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical in the West End, was a Swing and understudied Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, played an Ikette in Soul Sister on tour around the UK and at the Savoy Theatre, was in the ensemble of the Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and was in the original London cast of Fela! at the National Theatre.
As you can see, since graduating from The Urdang Academy Aisha has been pretty busy. With a wonderful CV like this, we asked her what kind of advice she would give to people; “Take time to breathe. This whole 'be grateful you are in a job now slave away' and be a yes person ALL THE TIME. No. Sometimes we have to say no, I’m burning out I can feel it, so for the betterment of this company and myself I’m going to take a few days to breathe and come back a better team player. Also to not shy away from speaking up about what isn’t right. That’s when we all suffer. Let’s learn to huddle together and speak up.”
Over the pandemic, a lot of issues that exist in our industry have come to the surface and people have been speaking openly about them, Aisha is one of the actors speaking up and is fighting for inclusivity in our community. We spoke to her about some of the changes that need to happen in this industry. She emphasises that this all won’t be solved overnight. There have been some improvements and we’ve seen some important representation in casting announcements recently but this needs to be a permanent change, not just a quick fix to avoid riots. “If I’m completely honest, this industry is just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to change. Some inclusiveness has occurred but I will not agree that it’s enough. We need a change that is living and breathing every day. And then on top of that, knowing when to humbly step aside and allow others that do know to come alongside for the journey.”
Over the past year, Aisha has certainly been keeping busy. With appearances in numerous concerts and streams, she has also started a new company selling vintage jewellery pieces, something she tells us she adores because she loves the stories these pieces tell. On top of that, it's encouraging people to do their bit for the planet! She also tells us that she’s “been filling my time with me!” This is so important, the performing arts industry can be quite consuming and it's so important that we all take a step back sometimes and focus on ourselves. It's good for your soul and good for your mental health.
It is very clear that Aisha is very much looking forward to being back on stage. If anyone saw her performance on This Morning recently with the cast of Tina, you’ll agree that we need her back on that stage doing what she is born to do! “I’m totally looking forward to sharing the stage with my new cast and being their biggest cheerleader because I LOVE seeing people shine. I also can’t wait to see the world that I live in reflected on the stages that I see and perform in.” Not only is she obviously a core member of her company and all of their biggest fan, but she is also proud of the show and it's so wonderful to see that. When we asked her what opening night she’d like to be at I think she gave the best answer we’ve had yet, “of course I would want to be at my own opening night! I’m asking for it. I'M DYING FOR IT!”
You can catch Aisha starring in the title role in Tina - the Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre which is reopening on the 28th July 2021. Aisha is an absolute star and be sure to keep your eye on her because this talent is going far!
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