The Luckiest Girl Alive

The Luckiest Girl Alive is a verbatim puppetry show following the life of activist and campaigner Hoda M Ali in her epic journey across the globe as her family sought medical care from the dangerous effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The story begins in Somalia; Hoda shares happy memories of playing on the beaches of Mogadishu with her sister. Aged 7 Hoda is a survivor of FGM. Aged 13, she seeks treatment for dangerous complications. She flees to Djibouti, then to Italy for further medical treatment and to escape civil war, and finally arrives in the UK and within hours of moving to London, she meets the love of her life. The show provides an intimate experience as you are invited into Hoda’s life through different forms of puppet theatre, projection and storytelling. In a post-show talk with Hoda herself, audiences will learn about the vital work Hoda now does in the fight against FGM in the UK, her co-founding of The Vavengers, and why, after everything that has happened, Hoda counts herself as The Luckiest Girl Alive.

Hoda Ali (Writer, Consultant) is a human rights activist and campaigner defending the rights of girls through working and campaigning to end female genital mutilation in the United Kingdom. Nikki Charlesworth (Director, Puppet Maker) is a theatre maker passionate about puppetry's unique ability to tell difficult stories with sensitivity in a way that is accessible for audiences.