BLACK THEATRE [blak thee-uh-ter]
adjective
>Theatre productions with a majority Black cast
>Theatre inspired by or based on Black history, communities, experiences or culture
>Theatre written, directed or produced by a Black person(s)
How the face of British Theatre is changing, and the breadth of talent is unmeasured. This is indeed a remarkable time and as with everything it has to be consistent….right? Sign up to our newsletter for our monthly theatre guide go to SUBSCRIBE on www.alt-africa.com or if you want your show included or support promoting your show to Black audiences either via our Cultra e-Diary newsletter or the Spring print edition of ALT A REVIEW: email marketing @alt – africa.com
Delightfully curated to suit all tastes: the best shows to enjoy this winter!
Alice in Wonderland 1 – 31 December 2022
Brixton House opens its first Christmas show this December. The multi-award-winning company Poltergeist weave rap music together with the sights and sounds of Brixton into a hundred-mile-an-hour Christmas adventure.
After an explosive argument with Mum on a Victoria line station, eleven-year-old Alice leaps onto the tube seconds before the doors hiss shut.
Trapped on a train speeding into Nonsense, surrounded by weird and wonderful passengers, and at the mercy of a Queen who won’t relinquish the controls, can Alice turn this train around?
Multi-award-winning company Poltergeist weaves rap music together with the sights and sounds of Brixton into a hundred-mile-an-hour Christmas adventure. This alternative family Christmas show is created by Poltergeist.
Tickets from £20-£32, under 16s £15.
Book early for preview prices for performances 1 – 7 December £20-£25 and under 16s £12.50.
#AliceinBrixton
Book tickets https://bit.ly/aliceinbrixton
★★★★ “One of the UK’s Best Young Companies”
The Guardian (for Art Heist)
★★★★ “Brilliantly inventive”
The Stage (for Lights Over Tesco Car Park)
★★★★★ “the best!”
LondonTheatre1 (for Ghost Walk)
A Brixton House and Poltergeist Production. Directed by Jack Bradfield. Created by Poltergeist.
……………
Kiln Theatre: Ellen Thomas and Clare Perkins Return in The Wife of Willesden
After a sold-out, critically acclaimed run in 2021, Alvita, The Wife of Willesden returns for one more round at the bar. A proper local legend. Married five times. Mother. Lover. Aunt. Friend. Alvita will tell her life story to anyone in the pub – there’s no shame in her game. The question is: are you ready to hear it? Because this woman’s got the gift of the gab: she can rewrite mistakes into triumphs, turn pain into parables, and her love life an epic poem. They call her The Wife of Willesden…A play that celebrates the human knack for telling elaborate tales, especially about our own lives. Duration: 100 minutes with no interval DATES: 14 December 2022 – 28 January 2023 Book: https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/the-wife-of-willesden/
Tangle Theatre: Richard the Second
Tangle, in association with MAST Mayflower Studios, present a radical and electrifying new adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Richard The Second performed in its distinctive Southern African Township theatre style. With an original score of Zimbabwean music and song, Tangle’s new multicultural production offers a fast, powerful and fresh take on this state of the nation play, while celebrating the excellence of globally talented artists whose multi-national voices are at the centre of the work. Runs: Wed 9 – Sun 27 November, 7.30pm 4pm Sundays|
Pictured Aumerle is played by South African actor and director Lebogang Fisher. https://www.tangletheatre.co.uk/productions/richardthesecond
Bush Theatre: The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English
Through immersive storytelling, dance and song, The Kola Nut Does Not Speak English is a glorious celebration of self-discovery written and performed by Tania Nwachukwu (The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Arcola) that celebrates African theatre practices and proudly embraces the power of telling your own story. Runs: 28 November – 17 December 2022. Book: https://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/event/the-kola-nut-does-not-speak-english/
One of performance: MONOLOGUE OF THE BLACK POLICEWOMAN performed by Lorna Blackman
This performance is an insight into a black policewoman’s everyday occurrence. We are able to see her concerns, vulnerabilities and strengths and at times being so hopeless in certain situations. The monologue will be followed by a discussion with wine and refreshments and discussion The actress Lorna Blackman has been teaching acting for over 30 years and is a member of LAMDA. Book/detail: The Monologue of the Black Policewoman by Lorna Blackman is at Academy Buildings 15 Pratt Mews London NW1 0AE on 8 Dec 2022, 7.30pm-19.00 £5
Intermission Theatre Chelsea Theatre | MSND – A Shakespeare Remix 9 Nov – 3 Dec 2022
After abusing Titania’s trust, Oberon is refused access to his daughter, Asia. His best friend, Puck, tries to cheer him up and when a new drug hits the street, he sees this as the perfect opportunity. But this isn’t any old drug, this is MSND, once taken, it is believed you inherit special powers, including the ability to speak Shakespeare. Oberon is convinced that with the help of this drug, he can get to Asia, but unbeknown to him, Titania, also stumbles upon MSND, so has powers of her own! The temptation of the drug lures them to the playground, where they take on the role of King and Queen of the fairies. Or maybe they are just high? https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/imy
National Theatre Othello: Dir: Clint Dyer (Death of England: Parts 1, 2, and 3; Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical)
An extraordinary new vision for William Shakespeare’s Othello in the Lyttelton theatre.
The cast includes Giles Terera (Death of England; Face to Face) in the title role, Rosy McEwen (The Alienist) as Desdemona and Paul Hilton (The Inheritance) as Iago.
They are joined by Jack Bardoe, Joe Bolland, Rory Fleck Byrne, Kirsty J Curtis, Peter Eastland, Patrick Elue, Tanya Franks, Colm Gormley, Gareth Kennerley, Joshua Lacey, Martin Marquez, Katie Matsell, Amy Newton, Sabi Perez, Steffan Rizzi, Jay Simpson and Ryan Whittle. From 23 November 2022 until 21 January 2023. Book: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/othello
Dairy Date: BUSH THEATRE August in England with Lenny Henry
‘You never allow me tell my story. I been trying to tell it someone and nobody listenin’
Charming, flawed, and with the gift of the gab, we all know a man like August Henderson. Between his three kids, devoted wife-to-be, and part-ownership of a fruit and veg shop, he is proud of the life he has built since landing in his beloved West Bromwich. So, when faced with deportation to a country he has no memory of, he isn’t prepared to go quietly. Listen up, he is ready to tell his own story.
Poignant and hilarious in equal measure, August in England gives insight into the lives impacted by the injustice of the Windrush scandal.
Written and performed by Lenny Henry in his playwriting debut, the celebrated actor and comedian brings his vast talents onto the stage in this intimate one-man show. Co-directed by the Bush Artistic Director, Lynette Linton (Sweat, House of Ife), and Associate Artistic Director, Daniel Bailey (Red Pitch, The High Table).
Young Vic: Mandela 29 Nov 2022 – 4 Feb 2023
A new musical that tells the story of Mandela the man and Mandela the movement. Infused with the rhythms and spirit of South Africa, Mandela shines a light on the South African people’s courageous fight for their liberation. For 27 years, Mandela and his comrades sacrificed their freedom and their families paid the price. It is a story of determination, hope and how the world rallied to free him and his people. The production is presented in partnership with Nandi Mandela, Luvuyo Madasa and the Mandela family. Tickets from £12.50 29 November – 04 February Book: https://www.youngvic.org/whats-on/mandela
FAMILY FUN at Theatre Peckham: SCROOGELICIOUS 1 – 23 Dec 2022
A big-hearted production based on Charles Dickens’s immortal classic A Christmas Carol, scripts and lyrics were written by Geoffrey Aymer (The Wonderful) and Jordan Xavier (music). Feel-good, funny and full of joy, this cracker of a production immerses the community in this uplifting Christmas tale. Theatre Peckham Scroogelicious fills the auditorium with music, mischief and merriment.
Christmas is coming, but one man isn’t happy
Mention of the word makes him irritable and snappy
He’s all about his wealth, you see, and from his lofty station…
His vision for ol’ Peckham is pure gentrification
Some say he’s heartless, greedy and ambitious
But sum up his traits; he’s simply SCROOGELICIOUS
“Christmas?! That’s bare humbug, innit!”
Suitable for all ages: https://www.theatrepeckham.co.uk/show/scroogelicious/
Lyric Theatre: Jack and the Beanstalk age 6+
Join Jack and the gang for a climb of a lifetime as they battle giants and thorny baddies in hopes of bringing ‘glory glory’ back to Hammersmith. ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum’, Fleshcreep wants money from Jack and her mum. And if they don’t cough up, he’s going to take everything they’ve got and feed them to the evil giant in the sky. To save them from their fate, Jack swaps their beloved Daisy the cow (who can sing like no udder) for a bag of magic beans. But little do they know; a soaring adventure awaits…Expect beanstalk climbing, giant defeating, golden egg laying, extreme skateboarding, milk explosions, singing cows, some absolutely outrageous outfits and of course Beyoncé! BOOK: https://lyric.co.uk/shows/jack-and-the-beanstalk-2/
