A stage adaptation of Manjeet Mann’s award-winning novel Run, Rebel is set to visit the Oxford Playhouse.
Staged by Pilot Theatre, this production brings to life Manjeet’s award-winning young adult novel, following a young girl as she navigates her place in the world. It takes to the main stage of the Oxford Playhouse from Wednesday 16th to Saturday 19th October, for children 11+.
This is the story of Amber, who is trapped by her family’s rules, by their expectations, by her own fears. But on the running track she is completely free. As her body speeds up, the world slows down. And the tangled, mixed-up lines in her head start to make sense. It is time to start a revolution: for her mother, for her sister, for herself. Run, Amber. Run.
Tickets for Run, Rebel at Oxford Playhouse start from £14 and are available at the Box Office on 01865 305305 or to book online at www.oxfordplayhouse.com.
Run, Rebel Cast
- Amber: Jessica Kaur
- Harbans & Ensemble: Pushpinder Chani
- Tara & Ensemble: Heather Forster
- Ruby, Beena & Ensemble: Simran Kular
- Surinder & Ensemble: Asha Kingsley
- David & Ensemble: Kiran Raywilliams
Interview with the author
Manjeet is a multi-award-winning children’s author. Her debut Young Adult novel Run, Rebel was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2021 and won the CILIP Carnegie Shadowers Choice Award, The UKLA Award, Diverse Book Award and Sheffield Children’s Book Award. It was also a Guardian Best Book of 2020.
Ahead of the production, the author and actress spoke to What’s On Oxon about her journey from actor to writer and her inspiration for Run, Rebel.
You started your career as an actress, what prompted you to start writing books, in particular, books for young people?
Honestly, it was a bit of a happy accident. I feel as though I fell into writing. It started as a means to get myself noticed as an actress. I wrote a solo show in 2016 and instead of more acting work coming my way, more playwriting commissions came my way and it just started to snowball from there. On a whim I applied for a mentorship program with Penguin Random House. I’d had the idea for a book for teenagers, wrote the beginning of it and sent it off thinking nothing of it. Over 3000 people applied and after a rigorous process 10 writers were chosen to be mentored over one year, during which you would write your book. I was one of the lucky 10 and that’s how my career as an author started. I worked on Run, Rebel during that year and never looked back. Why books for young people? In short, my younger self still has a lot to say!
Tell us about the story of Run Rebel?
Run, Rebel features a teenage girl called Amber. Amber is desperate to live her own life on her own terms. However, her home life is far from perfect. The play/novel explores the conflict of cultures between her challenging and at times abusive family life at home and her school life full of friendships, teen crushes and a passion for athletics and throughout the novel Amber has to learn to navigate these two opposing cultures and develop the strength to grow and build her own identity in the face of these major obstacles.
Where did the idea for the book come from?
It is partly inspired by my own experiences growing up; the people, the places and the stories I was told, and it is partly inspired by my work in the community through my organisation Run The World. I started writing Run, Rebel around the same time as I set up the organisation and I remember writing it thinking, this story isn’t relevant, no one is going to find it interesting ,but working with these women, who were all survivors of domestic violence and seeing the women grow in confidence with every running session and hearing their brave, life changing stories, gave me the confidence to dig deep and share the story I wanted to tell because it dawned on me that this story is relevant and the issues it covers are not getting talked about and they need to be talked about.
How did you set about adapting the book to a play?
I always hoped it would find its way to the stage. As an actress, I imagine everything I write having life in another form whether that be on stage or screen. I was lucky in a sense that quite a few people told me how they could see it working on stage, one of those people was my good friend and theatre director Tessa Walker. She spoke about how empowering the story is and how powerful it would be to bring it to the stage. We had worked together before so decided to get some actors together and do a week of R&D to see if it would work and the rest as they say is history…
I think the biggest challenge for me was realising that what works on the page doesn’t necessarily work on the stage. I naively thought it was going to be an easy process as I’d written the book. Tessa was instrumental in helping shape the adaptation as not only is she a fantastic director but she’s also a brilliant dramaturge. Together we pulled out all themes and beats of each section and stuck to the ‘anatomy of a revolution’ as a framing device (as it is in the book) which helped in giving me something I could hold onto when writing the adaptation.
What can audiences expect from the play?
Like I said earlier, I wanted to write for my teenage self. The teenager who felt quite isolated and voiceless, and therefore the adult me is passionate about empowering women and girls any way I can. I hope that those who come to see the show will hear it as a rallying call for anyone who has ever felt powerless.
What was it like seeing your work come to life on stage?
Surreal, amazing, scary. A mix of emotions. It’s always a vulnerable thing to have your work going out into the work, that never leaves, so I feel as though I’m always grateful and happy that it’s out there but equally want to run and hide.
You are the founder of the Run the World project – can you tell us more about it? How it came about and what you want to achieve through it?
Run The World helps women and girls take their first steps into running, create a safe environment for sharing experiences and together help them create a piece of theatre from those stories, empowering themselves and inspiring others.
We are committed to working with women and girls as it is globally recognised that sport and theatre can be a force to amplify women’s voices, tear down gender barriers, fight discrimination and take a step towards gender equality. We endeavour to use sport and theatre to give women and girls everywhere a chance to experience a full and empowered life. It is a safe space where the focus is on creativity and fun and the social aspect of non-competitive sport. A place where a community is built around supporting one another, empowering one another and, as women, fearlessly moving forward together.
What are you working on now?
I’m working across a few projects at the moment. I’m adapting my second novel The Crossing into play, editing my next YA novel and working on a couple of TV projects.
