A PLAY about the story of a woman refugee will be staged at Skipton Town Hall on Thursday, September 22.

Tanja, a new play from Strawberry Blonde Curls Theatre Company, blends drama, spoken word, physicality, puppetry, sign language and verbatim theatre to tell the story of Tanja, an asylum seeker who flees to England and is being held at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre.

Emily Ntshangase-Wood will play the lead, and she is a former Yarl's Wood detainee, whose inspiring story and similar stories of those who have been detained are at the heart of the play.

Emily is no stranger to the Yorkshire Dales as she has visited Malham, Settle and Horton-in-Ribblesdale several times through visits organised by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust’s outreach project People and the Dales.

Last week Emily visited Malham with other refugee and asylum seeker women during a hosting event where 35 people spent the weekend staying in people’s homes enjoying a host of activities and a warm welcome.

Emily said: “The script and the aim of the project is to show audiences what it is like to go through the asylum system and what happens in an immigration removal centre.”

Fiona Protheroe, who works for Craven Development Education Centre, said: “I met with Emily and the company at a special event for International Women’s Day at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. I was really inspired by their dedication to telling the stories of women whose voices don’t get heard. I was pleased when they agreed to add Skipton to their national tour.”

The show starts at 7.30pm, and there will be post show discussion.

Tickets cost £8 if bought in advance from the shop From the Source in Coach St, Skipton, or £10 on the door.