British Somali women's theatre gives the 'Side eYe' to exclusion

Actors Susu Ahmed and Faduma Issa stretch during a warm-up session ahead of the presentation of ‘Dugsi Dayz’, a sell-out play performed by the Somali women's theatre company Side eYe Productions, at the New Diorama Theatre in London. Photo: Reuters

Members of Britain's community of Somali women have cast aside the conventional roles they say are expected of them for the ones they really want with the help of a theatre company set up to combat exclusion in performing arts.

Artistic director Hannah Abdule, a civil servant, co-founded Side eYe Productions in 2019 to create opportunities she felt were denied to people like her.