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The Belgrade Theatre presents

Swim, Aunty, Swim!

By Siana Bangura

Mon 20 May to Sat 1 June 2024

Swim, Aunty, Swim! is a profound, poetic story of friendship, loss, sisterhood, motherhood, ageing, starting again, and the sublime power of water.

DAT REN WE BIT BITA-LIF SOTE I BITA, NA-IN BIT SHUGA KEN SOTE I SWIT – Krio Proverb
Translation: The same rain that beats bitter-leaf until its bitter, beats sugar cane until it’s sweet.

Fatu is in search of a new life and a fresh start. Leaving London behind, she makes her way to Coventry. There she forms a friendship with fellow members of her new church, Aunty Blessing and Aunty Ama – a fiery, entertaining and sharp-witted duo of West African women in their prime, navigating changes and transitions in their own lives.

At Ama’s whim, the three of them embark on a watery challenge. 

What begins as light-hearted fun and a distraction from the mundane routine of life and church, becomes a ritual of healing and rebirth, after a season of grieving. 

Set across Lagos, Accra, Freetown, London, Birmingham, and Coventry, Swim, Aunty, Swim! is written by Siana Bangura and directed by Madeleine Kludje.

Swim, Aunty, Swim! Cast Announcement

Be Part of the Story – Send us your watery memories