Why 2018 Will Be A Great Year for Black Theatre
The year just gone has been truly amazing for Black British theatre, with breakthrough performances, challenging and entertaining new writing and shows getting well deserved second runs. Particular highlights for me have been the rise of Sope Dirisu, who I had the pleasure of seeing in the amazing One Night in Miami (he also signed my play text), the return of Hashtag Lightie, the hundred mile per hour thrill ride that is The Barber Shop Chronicles and my favourite play from the year just gone, The Convert. As well as a plethora of great shows in London theatres, some of which I got to see such as Assata Taught Me, The Island, Good Dog and 5 Guys Named Moe, we also saw many shows written by or starring Black talent make a splash at this year’s Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. With such a good year in the books, how is 2018 shaping up for Black theatre in London? Pretty damn well is the answer! Here is my personal guide on plays, projects and talents to look out for in the year to come.
I have already mentioned his name in this article, which should tell you how much I rate him, and I am not the only one. After a masterful portrayal of Muhammad Ali in One Night in Miami at the Donmar Warehouse, Sope Dirisu took on the work of The Bard, playing the titular character in Coriolanus. In 2018 Sope will be joined by Jonathan Ajayi & Anthony Welsh in The Brothers Size at The Young Vic. An all too familiar story African-American men coming out of prison, The Brothers Size follows two brother reuniting through Yoruba mythology and live music. Bonds and intimacy between Black men is a topic oft discussed on the TL and in group chats up and down the land, so with the talent on show and relevance of the topic, this will definitely be a strong kick off to the theatrical year.
The Brothers Size, 19 Jan — 14 Feb 2018, The Young Vic,
As Black Brits/Black folk in Britain, it is fair to say we lack the same kind of collective national narrative our transatlantic cousins seem to have. What is ‘our story’ in this green and pleasant land? With a quote like “We walk. Though we are written into the landscape you don’t see us. We walked England before the English” it is clear that the Eclipse Theatre’s Black Men Walking seeks to address this very issue. We live nation and climate where the need to teach the stories of Black people in Britain is still cause for national “newspapers” to conduct witch-hunts on twenty-year olds. As such a play like Black Men Walking cannot be overlooked for its collective importance.
Black Men Walking, 21 Mar — 7 April, The Royal Court, https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/black-men-walking/
There is nothing quite like the feeling of watching someone you know, even from a distance, grow their talent and gain recognition for their hard work. Some ten years ago I had the pleasure of working with Roy Alexander Weise on a play I may or may not have starred in but he definitely directed. One of us went on to bigger and better things. In 2016 Roy directed the story of Dr Martin Luther King’s final day alive in On the Mountaintop at The Young Vic and his star only continues to rise. In April he will be directing Nine Night at The National Theatre. A play on Jamaican culture surrounding the celebration of death, Nine Night is flanked by a number of post-show talks on Caribbean culture and rituals and a talk from the director himself.
One of the great barriers to enjoying theatre is access. From the audience perspective that is often linked to cost and time. But what about access for creators? Tobi Kyeremateng often writes about the subject. Well she does a lot more than write about it so follow her init! Speaking of following, in December a writer and director I follow, Atlanta Green, introduced her latest project; The Confession Corner. Dismayed by the lack of opportunity young Black theatre makers like herself have, Atlanta has decided to direct a number of monologues of existing and new theatrical work, and upload them straight on to YouTube. On hearing about this project I did think “but is this really theatre though?” But I had to step back and think about it. For starters I love this art form but I am not a creator in it, so it would be foolish of me to ignore the issues Atlanta mentioned. Secondly, I recognised that I am lucky to have the access I do to so many great shows. I live this life and am surrounded by people who do the same. But not everyone who would be entertained, educated or both by Black British theatre have that opportunity. They are not all in the industry, or know who I know. Not to say I am anybody or a big I am. Rather, I am highlighting why bringing theatre in such an accessible manner is so important. If we are to expand the reach of this art form we need to find ways to capture those not already in it, and I believe The Confession Corner will do just that.
Now this is by no means a comprehensive preview of everything on offer next year. There are Black shows I have not mentioned here, some I am sure I am yet to hear about and hopefully many still be announced. What is clear to me is there is much to be excited about. Over the next year I will be writing on Black British theatre for FWRD, bringing you reviews, interviews, opinions and letting you know what shows you should be checking out. So that’s lights down and curtains up for act one of many.
