Michaela Coel Is the Goal
I love creating and therefore for I have a great for creators. Being a black woman, I have felt seldom represented in the creative industries, whether it’s being seen on screen or represented behind the scenes, and that is why when I came across Michaela Coel and her work, I instantly became obsessed. The stories that she was telling and representing were infused with elements of relatability, interesting stories and humour I actually found funny. There’s something about her and her style that allowed me to connect with her body of work, and the ethic and commitment she has to her crafts have made me realise that she is the goal. She is someone I look to as being the gold standard and I have plenty of reasoning as to why.
Firstly, I will lead with that Michaela Coel had the best drama of 2020. Objectively, I May Destroy You, has been critically acclaimed and praised for its storyline, representations, acting and production. Subjectively, no other show has had me as hooked as feeling this year. There was so much explored and plenty to admire about the show (please see my review here — part 1, part 2).
Chewing Gum, the television series hit our screens on E4 in 2016. It was a quirky comedy centred around Tracey — played by Coel — a 24-year-old woman obsessed with losing her virginity and the adventures she has around the Tower Hamlet estate in which she resides. This exaggerated comedy showcased a predominantly black cast in an environment where the topics are usually gritty and made us laugh or die of second-hand embarrassment.
As brilliant as the show is, it was conceived from Michaela Coel’s one woman play, Chewing Gum Dreams, where Coel played a 14-year-old Tracey’s life of the estate. The play had success as it went from being showcased at the Yard Theatre, to being produced by the Bush Theatre, Royal Theatre Holland, Royal Exchange Theatre and the National Theatre is subsequent years. The play received positive and would be the inspiration for Chewing Gum. Although, it’s a work I’ve never watched I can imagine it was just superb, if anyone knows where I can get a copy of the footage, that’d be great.
I May Destroy You is the show I will never shut up about, because it’s so brilliant and there are so many layers to it that ensure it has repeat potential. When it comes to this show and the level of autonomy and control, she secured for it, I’m mesmerised. How many shows can you say were created, written, produced, co-directed and starred in by one black woman. Written based on her own experiences with sexual assault, Coel penned something beautiful, heartfelt and relatable, so firstly, we give her flowers for that. Secondly, she ensured that her own production company spearheaded this project, which enabled her to have so much control in her storytelling and with a story as delicate as this, I’m so glad she got to share her voice and execute her vision.
Additionally, Coel has featured in several shows as an actress and performed extremely well in them. However, a standout role would be her performance in Black Earth Rising. In this BBC drama series, she stars as an adopted Tutsi woman, whose life unravels during the trials of war criminals of the Rwandan Genocide. She is absolutely stellar and conveys such a believable character, taking us through various stages of emotions. The story that is being showcased is an amazing take on the Rwandan Genocide and her acting does it justice, along with her co-stars as well.
So, why do I say that she is the goal? Well as an aspiring writer, she is someone that massively influences me and her journey in writing is one that gives me hope that I too will succeed. When she released, Gift (the first Chewing Gum scripts she wrote), she wrote a note to all the recipients about how she never had someone to mentor her and teach her all the tricks of the trade. However, she talked about her struggles, the obstacles she faced and the mistakes she made, and in doing so she offered a lot of writers looking to break into the industry.
Overall, when it comes to her works, I can easily say that Michaela Coel is a brilliant storyteller, a boundary pusher, a phenomenal actress, a hard worker and a straight talker. She has mastered success is a way that allows her to comes across as honest and down to earth, whilst continuing to provide brilliant content that satisfies her fans and creates new ones.
Originally published at http://theconflictedpen.wordpress.com on October 8, 2020.