The 14th Tale is a free-flowing narrative that tells the hilarious exploits of a natural born mischief growing from the clay streets of Nigeria to rooftops in Dublin, and finally to London.
Author and performer of The 14th Tale, Inua Ellams vividly recreates the characters that punctuate his upbringing in deft and beautiful poetry, while challenging the audience’s expectations of what it is to be a young, black male in London today.
Ellams was born in Nigeria in 1984 and moved to the UK as a teenager. His work merges visual art, spoken word and theatre. He is working on a second collection of poems, following the publication of his first, Thirteen Fairy Negro Tales, which was supported by Arts Council England. He has previously performed at venues including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Theatre Royal Stratford East and the Tate Modern.
The 14th Tale is a BAC Scratch Commission with Apples & Snakes. A London World Festival Commission, funded by Arts Council England.