WRESTLELADSWRESTLE
WRESTLELADSWRESTLE is inspired by Jenni's Bolivian mother, Buffy the vampire slayer, The Rock, Bolivian Cholita wrestling, and her teenage judo career...this new show is an examination of contested space through an unreliable narrator with a crash mat.
WRESTLELADSWRESTLE is a live performance combining theatre, dance, judo, and elements of pro-wrestling, in a joyful reclamation of space. Investgating the myth of ‘empowerment’ through joyful playfighting, the show draws on her teenage career as the Under 50kg AJA British Judo Champion, and features a gang of 30 women. An almighty GIRL GANG.
WRESTLELADSWRESTLE is a joyful reclamation of space, asking questions about who
is entitled to play with violence, and what does it mean to 'empower' yourself. Examining
a racist incident Jenni witnessed her mother experience, she takes on a white man, and assembles a gang of 30 women of all ages/abilities, who she trains to play-fight with her until they reach a critical mass.
In a world where space is contested, using our bodies to occupy space feels like a
revolution. Jenni is exploring an autobiographical and 'historical' moment of racism she
witnessed as a young teenager- after which, her mother placed her into a judo dojo. Jenni
became a teenage judo champion representing the UK. The dojo offered a place to be
seen and to challenge her body and her limitations.
Upcoming awards for this work include an MGCFutures Award, and Jenni will be developing the show through Open Lab at The Barbican Centre.
The performance will eventually use integrated creative captioning, embedded audio description, live camera feed, and a couple of crash mats.
This work has been previously been developed with the support of DARE Festival/Upstart Theatre, HOME Manchester, ARC Stockton, Oxford Playhouse, Battersea Arts Centre, Royal Exchange Theatre.
Pitch Deck and recording of the Barbican Work in Progress sharing available upon request.