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originally published: 01/25/2022

(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Park’s independent movie theater, The ShowRoom Cinema, will host a one night only screening of the documentary “Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché,” Wednesday, February 2nd at 7:30pm.  Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain, with a rare prescience.

As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk musician was also a key inspiration for the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements. But the late punk maverick didn’t just leave behind an immense cultural footprint. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Poly’s life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celeste’s childhood and the pair’s relationship.

Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mother’s unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother. 

Winner of The Discovery Award and Best Documentary from the British Independent Film Awards, “Poly Styrene” is listed as 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Tickets are $15 and are available in advance at the box office or on the theater’s website. The ShowRoom Cinema is located at 707 Cookman Avenue, Asbury Park

 

Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

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Advertise with New Jersey Stage for $50-$100 per month, click here for info

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