Ignore what's going on that the other Stratford and make your way to the main event this Sunday (July 29th) in Stratford on Avon where we are presenting the UK Premiere of 'AND CROCODILES ARE HUNGRY AT NIGHT' adapted from the memoir by Jack Mapanje by the incredible Bilimankhwe Arts presented in collaboration with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Jack Mapanje is a Malawian poet and academic. He was arrested in 1987 by the government of Dr Hastings Banda, who presided over one of Africa’s most repressive regimes. Under Banda's rule, opposition parties were banned, civil liberties restricted, surveillance rife and academics heavily censored. After three and a half years in prison, Mapanje was released in 1991 and moved to England shortly afterwards.

Dr  Mapanje, will read from his latest book And Crocodiles Are Hungry at Night (Ayebia Clarke Publishing, 2011), which documents the horrific conditions of his incarceration. Despite being in prison for almost four years, he was never entirely sure what offence he was supposed to have committed. He will be joined by actor Jane Lapotaire, who will read poems exploring freedom and social justice. The event is part of the Stratford on Avon Poetry Festival. 



Jack Mapanje, who Amnesty declared a prisoner of conscience during his imprisonment, has received international acclaim for his poetry.

Bilimankhwe Arts are a UK and Malawi based theatre company who have worked with Jack Mapanje, they are an organisation dedicated to promoting artistic collaborations between world cultures.Their production of And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night will be given its UK premiere as part of this evening's event.

SO DON'T MISS IT!

Venue: Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street. 7.00pm.

Tickets: £15.00. Bar available. 24-Hour Ticket Hotline (01789) 294911 also available from The Shakespeare Bookshop (now relocated to the Birthplace gift shop) in Henley Street.