Natasha Marshall bringing identity crisis Half-Breed to Edinburgh
Natasha Marshall makes her writer-performer debut in Edinburgh this August with her challenging, partly autobiographical, play on identity, called Half-Breed.
Half-Breed is a one-woman dark comedy about faith in yourself: finding your voice, fighting for what you want and being fearless in who you are.
“I am that mixed-race kid, like 50/50, on the fence, lukewarm, in-between maybe. Trust me, around here I’m about as black as it goes…” says the character of Jazmin, played by Marshall.
Marshall grew up in the West Country, before moving to London to attend acting school. She made her first Edinburgh Fringe acting debut in Thugz and Tearz.
“My whole life I’ve been holding my breath, but when I perform Half-Breed I feel like I’m breathing. I want to bring something real and different to the Fringe. I want to create a conversation, I want to open people’s minds up,” said Marshall.
Shortlisted for the Soho Young Writers’ Award 2016 and the Alfred Fagon Award 2016, the play began its life as a poem at spoken word nights.
Developed into a short play through Talawa Theatre Company and Soho Theatre’s Writers’ Lab, Marshall first performed Half-Breed at Talawa Firsts and Soho Theatre’s Soho Rising festivals in 2016.
The piece will have its full-length premiere at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August.
Previews take places at the Soho Theatre on Saturday, July 29.
For further information, including bookings for the London preview or Edinburgh dates, visit the Soho Theatre website.
Image: Rebecca Need-Menear