Background
RASH began as a vignette of short monologues based on my personal experience of living in countries in crises. As I began to read these stories to writers, colleagues, friends, family and strangers, I realised there is a strong interest in knowing what it’s really like to live and work in conflict zones, to document human rights abuses, to take risks. And for those who lead similar lives, they see a picture seldom reflected back at them. So in writing RASH, my first solo play, I have tried to provide a small glimpse into the life of a human rights/humanitarian worker, to make an unfamiliar world familiar for a moment in time. RASH is the story of how I ended up in Rwanda after the genocide and how that experience changed my life. Jenni Wolfson
Story
The play was written based on Jenni’s personal experiences of working for the UN in Rwanda, as well as in other countries in crises. Through her experiences, Jenni wanted to give people a taste of what it might be like to live, love and laugh in the midst of horror and tragedy. RASH makes something as huge and incomprehensible as genocide personal. We see Jenni work in over-crowded prisons and help genocide survivors and tortured victims. Her risk-taking lands her smack in the middle of landmines, mortal shelling and rebel attacks. “One guy slides his hand up the back of my leg and whispers in my ear, ‘we’re going to have fun with you.’”
And as if having a rebel gun to her head wasn’t enough, Jenni has to deal with her Jewish family back in Scotland who are struggling to cope with her life choices. Her dream job is their worst nightmare. The solo show creates suspense and disbelief, keeping people on the edge of their seats, as Jenni weaves through moments in her life that profoundly changed her.
