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Bullet Hole

Details

Synopsis

Young Londoner Cleo was given her ‘gift’ at age seven – except that ‘gift’ left her with type 3 Female Mutilation. How can Cleo love her body, when her husband brutally sexually assaults her? Finding strength after this hideous act, Cleo resolves to go against her family’s wishes and seek reversal surgery. On her journey of healing, she’s sent to live with Aunt Winnie and meets Eve, a fellow FGM survivor who is instantly drawn to her. Will Cleo set an example and empower Eve to stand against this practice, or will she give in to family pressure and finally embrace Aunt Winnie’s deeply embedded traditional beliefs? A fight for love, hope and acceptance in a culture where a ‘gift’ can bear the ultimate price.Played by an all-female cast, this piece shines a light on a violent act nested in our society which is a transgression of human/women/children’s rights.

Character Breakdown

CLEO - African British Female, played age 25-30. Outspoken and feisty young woman who is a survivor of type 3 Female Genital Mutilation. She challenges the traditions and the community by sharing her trauma and her understanding of the social norms.
EVE - African British, playing age 38-43. A survivor of Female Genital Mutilation, she is a nurturing care giver who sits on the fence in regards to the FGM practise. She uses her submission to the culture and her 'mother-like' influence on Cleo to compensate for her sexual frustration and confusion.
WINNIE - African Female, playing age 50-70. Sierra Leone accent. An outspoken traditionalist and God-fearing older woman who is a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation. She uses her maturity and experience to influence and enforce younger women to embrace female circumcision.