Love Steps is a ‘choreopoem’ inspired drama fusing poetry, dance and music by director, writer and poet Anastasia Osei-Kuffour (Typical, On The Ropes, All Roads) who is making her playwriting debut.
Commenting on her semi-autobiographical work, which also explores Black female identity and racial perspectives on beauty, Anastasia says: “When I was younger, I struggled to identify with romantic love represented in mainstream theatre, TV and film. I rarely saw myself reflected in those stories or in stereotypical beauty industry images.”
“I wrote Love Steps to counter skewed cultural messages, highlight the turbulent love journeys people experience and hopefully inspire greater understanding for others. Drawing on my own experience for inspiration adds an authenticity I hope will move audiences and allow people to see themselves in what is essentially a story with universal relevance.”
Anastasia Osei-Kuffour – Playwright and Director
Anastasia Osei-Kuffour is a writer, director, producer and poet who began her career in 2012, training as a theatre director through the Young Vic Directors Programme. She went on to train on the National Theatre’s Director’s course in 2017 and as an artistic director on the tiata fahodzi led Artistic Director Leadership Programme. She was also an Associate Director at Theatre503 (Aug 2019 to May 2021) and went on to work alongside Stephen Williams on the Searchlight feature film Chevalier, which had its UK release in June 2023.
She is also an Artistic Director of Wrested Veil, a production company that unveils stories that explore truth and the human story behind real world issues, in order to spark change.
Theatre credits includes: Brenda’s Got A Baby (New Diorama Theatre); 4 Walls (Derby Theatre); All Roads (Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Tramshed, New Wimbledon Theatre Studio, Theatre Peckham), On The Ropes (Park Theatre), Seeds (Leeds Playhouse, Live Newcastle, Derby Theatre & Warwick Arts Centre); Typical (Soho Theatre, Pleasance Courtyard Edinburgh Fringe & Audible); Cuttin’ It (Royal Court, UK schools tour-19 schools); Footprints on the Moon (Finborough Theatre).
Film & Audio Drama includes: Typical (Soho Theatre On Demand); Faith, Hope & Glory Series 3 to 6 (BBC Radio 4); A Story Told Three Times and Still Unfinished (Tamasha & National Archives); We Need New Stories a series of 9 pieces (Fifth Word); Middlemarch Monologues (BBC Radio 3); Bulletin and Persons Unknown (Applied Stories), A Stranger In a Strange place (Tamasha & National Archives); Precious Little Thing (BBC Radio 4). For more information please visit her website: www.anastasiaoseikuffour.com
Need to know: Love Steps plays from 3 to 20 APRIL 2024 at Omnibus Theatre and 29 May – 1 June Talawa, Fairfield Halls. Find out more via Afridiziak Theatre News | www.afridiziak.com
