Maimuna Memon is emerging as an essential, multifaceted new talent. She first came to attention with an
Olivier Awardnomination for her performance in the
Richard Hawley musical
‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’ before her self-written, one-woman show
‘Manic Street Creature’ earned widespread critical acclaim, including the prestigious
Fringe First Award. Most recently she has also launched her music career, proving that the inspirational voice on stage translates so naturally to recordings too.
Now Maimuna shares a new live performance video of her recent single ‘Insomnia’. It is released alongside the news that ‘Manic Street Creature’ will make its London debut when it comes to the Southwark Playhouse for a strictly limited run from October 16th – November 11th 2023.
This live video of ‘Insomnia’ magnifies its dream-like intimacy within this stripped-back live arrangement. Filmed within the meditative calm of Hampstead Heath, Maimuna’s gently affecting performance is complemented by cellist Gabriella Swallow, who also contributed cello to the National Theatre production of ‘Standing At The Sky’s Edge’. Watch it HERE.
‘Insomnia’ is one the original songs that also feature in ‘Manic Street Creature’. The show is a fresh and thrilling take on a modern love story, in which love, lust, and late nights collide in a musical rollercoaster, taking the audience through the euphoria and distress of two people dealing with their own and each other’s mental health. Its central character, Ria, is working with her band to complete a new album in which its songs chart the rise and fall of a recent relationship. But the more Ria progresses, the more she’s drawn back to the darkness of her troubled past, until we’re not sure where memory ends and reality begins.
Tickets for ‘Manic Street Creature’ at Southwark Playhouse are now available HERE.
Maimuna says, “I have always wanted to bridge the gap between the music industry and theatre, and with ‘Manic Street Creature’ I have tried to bring songs you might hear on record to the stage. With the music and story in combination, I have tried to create an immersive, gig like experience, with a strong narrative alongside it. The show and its musical content come from a deeply personal place. More than anything I hope that people can watch this show and feel like they aren’t alone”.
A compelling experience in its own right, ‘Manic Street Creature’ is also a piece of art which allows Maimuna to showcase the songs that feature on her upcoming debut EP in an innovative way. Blurring the boundaries between a gig and a theatrical show, ‘Manic Street Creature’ also won The Mental Health Award and The Stage Award in addition to The Fringe First Award.
Raised in Darwen near Blackburn, music has always been a part of Maimuna’s life. She studied the violin using the Suzuki method, before broadening her talents to include piano, drums, guitar and harmonium. The daughter of an Irish mother and a Pakistani father, she grew up in a largely white area where she struggled to find her place and connect with her family heritage – an issue that grew more challenged by a sudden move to Australia in her teens. That changed when she discovered the concept of third culture kids: children who spend their formative years away from their parents’ homeland and therefore experience both challenges and advantages that come from having a less defined cultural identity.
She launched her artist career last year with the introductory tracks ‘First Born Child’ and ‘Calling’ before releasing ‘Sinner’and ‘Insomnia’ this year, created with collaborators including Charlie Andrew (Alt-J, Wolf Alice), Jonathan Quarmby(Benjamin Clementine, Lewis Capaldi) and Neil Comber (M.I.A., Florence + The Machine). Early praise and radio support has come from Self Esteem, Jessie Ware, Jamz Supernova, NME, The Line of Best Fit, The Guardian, The Independent, Clash and Wonderland.
