And the winner is? An interview with the Soaring Solo Social Impact Award Winner, Almanya Narula, at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
In last month’s Soaring Solo blog we celebrated lessons learned from 13 different solo artists who participated in the prestigious Hollywood Fringe Festival which has taken over the city every summer with hundreds of performances. This month I have the honor of interviewing the winner of the Soaring Solo Social Impact Award, Almanya Narula for her outstanding work in her one-woman show NOOR INAYAT KHAN: ‘THE FORGOTTEN SPY’.
Every year the Soaring Solo Award Committee sees a slew of solo shows and we look for one very special solo artist who is making a social impact with their work while exemplifying excellent solo theatre technique.
Almanya blew us away and we were honored to bestow this award upon her, and could not wait to sit down with her to find out all about her, her show, and her creative process.
Here is what this powerhouse performer had to say.
Congrats again, Almanya! So, tell our readers about your solo show NOOR INAYAT KHAN: ‘THE FORGOTTEN SPY’…
Throughout history BIPOC individuals have made groundbreaking contributions to elevate our existence and because of systematic oppression, colonization, and whitewashing, those contributions have either been attributed to someone else or have been hidden. During WW2, over 3 million people of Indian descent contributed to the allied victory and yet all of their stories are left out of our history books. My solo show highlights one such individual whose contributions made D-Day possible. Her name is Noor Inayat Khan. She is an Indian princess (descendant of the great Indian Emperor Tipu Sultan) who fought alongside her colonizers, the British to fight a greater threat- the evisceration of humanity and life as we know it. Noor became the first Indian person and first woman to be sent out as a radio operator to Nazi France. She saved countless lives who were part of the resistance and gathered information that proved key to the allies winning the war on D-DAY. Written off as clumsy and ditsy, she beat the odds and lasted longer than most of her counterparts until she was captured, tortured, and executed by the Gestapo at Dachau after subjecting her to ‘Nacht und Nubel’ (Night and Fog- disappearance without a trace). For decades there has been little to no information on her and her contributions even though her life story is incredible. My show focuses on the aftermaths of her third attempted escape from Avenue Foch where she is forced to make a decision between giving in to the powers that be or sacrifice her short lived life to save many. My solo show not only brings her contributions and heroic sacrifice to the forefront in a “engaging and thrilling” way but also informs the masses about the contributions that Indians and women made to a war we thought we knew everything about. Additionally, it gives Noor the autonomy and voice that historians never allowed her (much like many women in history). Noor’s sacrifice was not in vain. In the end she was in charge of her own destiny. This show gives her much overdue recognition.
Wow. Very important work. Thank you for all of that! So, tell us what inspired you to create this show and what was your process for creating and then staging it?
I learned about Noor Inayat Khan when I was 10 years old while I was waiting for my mother to pick me up from a bookstore in Thailand. I stumbled upon a WW2 History book and flipping through the pages I happened upon a footnote at the bottom of the page. It was a sentence describing Noor Inayat Khan that read something to the effect of “Indian Princess…British Spy”. I don’t remember the exact details but I know that sentence had a lasting impact on me. At the time, I did not have access to the internet or wikipedia so she became a memory that always remained at the back of my head. But something about even just one sentence was impossible to get out of my mind. You see, at the time there was not a lot of information out there on Indian excellence in history. Indian people were still the butt of every joke. The wildly racist character ‘Apu’ from The Simpsons was still everybody’s reference point for the Indian diaspora. Even with Harold and Kumar’s success it still wasn’t enough to shift the public’s image of what being an Indian person truly meant. So every time I stumbled upon an exciting fact about Indian people and their amazing contributions in history, it stuck with me. It reminded me of how proud I should be about my own history and my ancestors’ struggles.
Years later while going down a Wikipedia rabbit whole, I stumbled upon her again. This time there was a lot more information on her. I started digging into her story for years. And the more I researched the more I was confused by how such an important person in history was left out of our history books. The answer was simple, our history books were written by our colonizers. White-washing textbooks is nothing new. However, the more I read about her, the more I connected to her story on a deeper level.
In our pop culture, when we think about the hero’s journey, we often think, Cis. Male. White. Even historic figures. And when we do talk about “female heroes”, there is always a specific narrative associated with it, “badass female warrior”. But we forgot that sometimes, being a hero does not necessarily mean wielding a sword or having the greatest superhero landing of all time. We forget that there is such a thing called “internal strength” or “badass-ness in femininity”. Noor Inayat Khan’s journey was exactly that. She was an unsung hero, a woman who stumbled across greatness, who despite impossible odds, who despite everyone doubting and deeming her “the worst person for the job”, ended up becoming the best person for the job.
To me her story was empowering, inspiring, and a reminder to not assume anything about anyone. Her story taught me that all of us have it inside of us despite what labels the world gives us, to go out there and fight for the right thing. We are not limited by people’s perception of ourselves.
That was my main mission in developing this story.
I am currently a student at Stella Adler: Art of Acting Professional Conservatory. As part of our coursework, we had to develop a 15 minute solo show based on a historic figure. To me, the choice was simple – someone that I had been researching since the age of 10.
The difficulty came in trying to summarize Noor’s entire existence within 15 minutes. So I had to choose a moment in her life that captured her entire essence and was a culmination of who she truly was on the inside.
After much research, I found that her final attempted escape from 84 Avenue Foch (Gestapo HQ in France) followed by her decision to not sign a declaration of “No further escape attempts” proved to be the best way to encapsulate who she truly is. The extended version of the play which I performed at The Hollywood Fringe Festival was a 30-minute retelling. It was metaphorically the last 30 minutes of her life. To me, a person showcases who they truly are when they know that they have nothing else left to lose. For Noor, it was her imminent death.
Once I had had my setting and story, writing the play came naturally. By that point I had years of research on Noor behind me.
However, it was more than just retelling her narrative. It was about showcasing a side of her that historians never seemed to be able to talk about. It was the human side of her that I connected most with. Writing Noor’s story was a way in which I could articulate my own journey. But also a way in which I could exhibit my own strengths as a performer, storyteller, and fight choreographer.
I have a background in journalism which is why researching her was extremely exciting since there is a lot of misinformation about her on the internet. Reading between the lines and connecting the dots about what was left out of history was challenging but extremely motivating. It kept me on my toes and allowed me to decipher her psyche on a deeper level. To understand her stance, I not only read about her but also read her body of works such as a children’s book that she wrote called, ‘ Twenty Jataka Tales’ – an anthology series that is a retelling of popular Buddhist fables. I ended up incorporating and adapting part of ‘The Monkey Bridge’ fable into my solo show as well.
Furthermore, the show incorporates moments of induced violence and blood. Having a background in fight choreography and stage combat allowed me to incorporate those moments in my writing to create a more dynamic performance.
Why did you decide to do this show as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival?
I have always loved a sense of community and an environment in which artists can support one another. My solo show is still a work in progress, and The Hollywood Fringe festival felt like the perfect platform to bring Noor’s story to the forefront while gathering constructive feedback from community members about how to continue developing it further.
Being a part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival has truly been a remarkable experience. It is such an amazing festival to put your work out there, especially for first timers and get a sense on how to continue cultivating your artistic mission. Everyone at the festival is incredibly supportive and truly invested in your art, especially never heard/seen before narratives. Sharing Noor’s story in this environment was the perfect way to workshop this solo show but also to introduce myself to the LA theatre scene.
I feel so blessed and honored that I was able to share Noor Inayat Khan’s journey 17 years after I first heard about her with an audience that was receptive to her story and wanted to learn more.
The Hollywood Fringe Festival provided me with a platform to understand how I can continue to highlight Noor Inayat Khan’s incredible story and sacrifice with a larger audience.
What did you learn as a result of doing this solo show and sharing this story with an audience?
To trust yourself, the work, and the story. Every now and then we stumble upon an idea or narrative that we find fascinating. And many times it is the horrible voice inside our heads or even external voices that make us believe that what we find interesting will never resonate with another human being. This experience taught me that all of that was false. When you have an idea, try to step away from convincing yourself that it will never work. Because the worst that can happen is never giving it an honest shot at seeing the light. Even if it “fails” you will come out learning something.
When I first decided to share Noor’s story with an audience, I never expected it to receive the amount of love and support that it did. I was using this as an opportunity to further develop my show. What I learned was that because I was so emotionally invested in telling this woman’s story, the audience became eager to learn more.
Humanity gravitates to humanity. In a world embellished with social media, we long for human connection. If you find a connection with a certain narrative or an idea, share it with the world and there will be others who will be by your side to support you.
Having had so much success with this show already. What tips do you have for other aspiring solo artists?
Be brave and bold and play to your strengths. Every single one of us has a unique and wonderful story waiting to be shared with the world. The only thing holding ourselves back is trusting that we have something within us that other folks can resonate with. Even if you are retelling a story about another individual, find the angle that you connect with most, and I guarantee that the audience will be there with you.
When I was writing my solo show on Noor Inayat Khan, I wanted to tell her story in a way that historians could never tackle. I wanted to humanize her decisions and have the audience empathize with her. For me, Noor’s journey was about an Indian woman, while driven by her passion and philosophies to do the right thing, was just trying to get away from her overburdening family and go on an adventure, inevitably leading her to stumble upon greatness. To me that was a journey that I connected with on a deeper level as I know a thing or two about trying to carve out my own path in life, outside of my Indian family’s wishes.
In some ways, telling Noor Inayat Khan’s story was also trying to express my own journey in an artistic way.
Find out why you connect with a certain narrative and tell it truthfully from your perspective. Because at the end of the day, when you are doing a solo show, all you really have is yourself. Knowing why something is important to you, will inevitably invite the audience to resonate with that as well.
What is next for your solo show?
I was so blessed to have won the ‘Soaring Solo Social Impact Award’ and because of that I have the opportunity to perform my show at the SOLOFEST 2023. Aside from that, I am working on expanding the show and touring it across the country to develop it further. Eventually, after workshopping it as a solo show I would like to turn this story into a feature-length screenplay. I believe in Noor’s journey and I think her story can inspire and empower many in a time when our society feels very defeated by the powers that be. I truly believe that Noor’s sacrifice can embolden folks to not lose hope and to continue fighting the good fight.
Thank you so much, Almanya! You are such an inspiration and I really appreciate all of your time, talent, and insights to share with the NoHo Arts community and beyond.
And as for you solo artists reading this incredible interview, I hope you have learned a tremendous amount and filled your creative cup. Please continue to persist along on your solo journey. It may not be easy, but it is so worth it!
And be sure to catch Almanya’s encore performance in the Hollywood Fringe Festival on August 5th, 12th and 19th by CLICKING HERE FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFO.
Jessica Lynn Johnson
Soaring Solo Blog
Founder and CEO of Soaring Solo LLC
SoaringSoloArtist@gmail.com
www.SoaringSoloStudios.com
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