Manjeet Mann on novel and play Run, Rebel ahead of opening at Theatre Peckham
Run, Rebel, a theatre adaptation of the much-praised 2020 novel about a young girl defining her place in the world, will take to the stage in Peckham.
Fifteen-year-old Amber lives in a huge estate with her violent, alcoholic father who is determined that she will not bring dishonour on the family.
But, school offers hope, encouraging Amber’s talents as a runner and inspiring her through history lessons on revolution.
Multi-award winning children’s author and actress, Manjeet Mann, 43, has herself adapted the novel, working with director Tessa Walker.
Ahead of Run Rebel’s opening at Theatre Peckham in Havil Street on September 26, Ms Mann spoke to the South London Press from her new Edinburgh home.
She said: “It’s not 100 per cent autobiographical, but there is a lot of me in there – I wrote the book for my teenage self.
“It’s all about a girl who is desperate to live life on her own terms – but her home life is far from perfect.
“She grows as a person and learns to empower herself to move forward to the life she’s always wanted to live.”
The idea behind Run, Rebel first came to Ms Mann after she founded the charity Run the World – a not for profit that uses sport and theatre to empower domestic violence survivors as well as women and girls from marginalised communities.
She said: “When I first started writing the book I had all these negative voices in my head saying no one was interested.
“But at Run the World I saw that what I had gone through as a child, these women were still going through.
“Seeing that made me think that this book could help give women hope, that you can get over it, no matter how hopeless things might seem, there is always light.”
Grappling with the light within the darkness is a prominent theme in Run, Rebel.
Whilst the production tackles heavy topics of domestic abuse, bullying and deprivation, it also highlights friendship, relationships and rebellion.
Ms Mann said: “It was tricky to get the balance right. In my first few drafts I really focused on the darker side but my editor was there to remind me that the book was for teenagers – and that is life really, there is always light in the dark – so we got a love story involved.”
Throughout the production, Amber’s father and his network of friends are quick to find out if she dares an after-school visit to McDonald’s with classmate Tara and nascent love interest David.
Upon release Run, Rebel was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal 2021 and won the CILIP Carnegie Shadowers Choice Award, The UKLA Award, Diverse Book Award and Sheffield Children’s Book Award.
Ms Mann said: “It got a great response and people were saying it could work on the stage.
“Tessa Walker is a good friend of mine and after some Arts Council funding we started to research and develop a stage adaptation with actors.
“It felt surreal seeing it for the first time in the theatre. I’d seen it hundreds of times in rehearsals but I wasn’t prepared.”
Ms Mann was full of praise for her lead cast member, Jessica Kaur, who takes on the role of Amber.
She said: “When I met her for the first time I knew she was special. She gets all the different sides of the character, managing to be fun and sparky as well as the darker sides.
“She’s definitely one to watch.”
Ms Mann hopes she can inspire the audiences of Peckham.
She said: “I want people who see it to understand that you do have the power to change things – even when it might feel like everything is out of your control.”
Run Rebel will be on at Theatre Peckham until October 4, before it heads out on tour until November 9.
Pictured top: Jessica Kaur as Amber in Run Rebel (Picture: Pamela Raith Photography)