★★★★★

I had the opportunity to sink my soul into the wonderful theatre show, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy. Written and directed by Ryan Calais Cameron, with the help of assistant director Monae Robinson, and a captivating cast in Mark Akintimehin (Onyx), Emmanuel Akwafo (Pitch), Nnabiko Ejimofor (Jet), Darragh Hand (Sable), Aruna Jalloh (Obsidian) and Kaine Lawrence (Midnight), the piece is inspired by the Ntozake Shange’s 1975 play For Coloured Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf. Cameron’s take appraises Black British boy’s journeys in a stunning play showing at the Royal Court Theatre. 

Even with a collection of wonderful names, I didn’t hear them refer to each other once. For this show intends to pedestal key fragments of typical and yet varied Black boy’s journeys, which blend together themes and realities we have all faced. These characters could be any of us, and I saw myself split between all 6 of these characters. I was given room to do this through the choreography that introduces, breaks, and ends this terrific show. 

The movement director Theophilius O. Bailey has done a fantastic job of commanding the actors to combine in a sensual, reliant, and emphatic display of movement. Manoeuvring rhythmically together, hand on hand, body on body, swaying in a light display reminiscent of Moonlight. I say Moonlight, as the lighting in these moments brings to life their Black skin, which feels empowering. 

As they navigate through this choreography, I felt and saw a nexus that compounds all the ideas the play engages with. As if to say, this is Black boy-ness, this is meaning to curate an honest totality of us from childhood, through adolescence, and to young adulthood. 

The cast are truly amazing, typifying characters and elements of us through heartfelt acting. I know it is skill on show, but their performances were truly mesmerising. They brought these characters to life, instilling a familiarity that left me considering myself and my peers. You had Onyx, a stone-faced guy, upheld by road life, brotherhood, and a masculinity built through and maintained by necessity. Pitch, a wholesome kid, mocked by a proclaimed proximity to whiteness or rather an unconventional way of being Black – marred by a lack of confidence, and yet ampled joy. Jet, a dashing young man, an emotive beacon of light that could fall in line with the brothers but learned to hide his capacity for love. Sable, a sweet boy who soaked in his light skinned privilege but comes to acknowledge the damage exacted by such perceptions. Obsidian, a sagacious brother, invested in the high and mighty histories of African/Black culture, and respect for the entirety of us. A hotep of some sorts, but an honest one attempting to drive for better. Midnight, a guarded and at times regressive guy, who hides behind his trauma with a bravado all too familiar. Their chemistry like Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona, a synergy like the Jackson 5s, and skill level optimised by the importance of this play.

The show navigates between concepts and these distinct character interjections around them that adhere to a Black boy’s life. From the conception of ideas within them, like beauty, recognising you’re not the most desired from as young as primary school. The embers of racism, and how imposition by police occurs from so early. The reality of the N word, and how this term of endearment for many within the community is not representative for the entirety. Questioning what it truly means to be Black. Relationships with our parents, the complexities behind how they exist for the sake of us or on the flipside can lead us into turmoil by generational trauma. 

It covers depictions and understanding of love, of violence, and the raw nature of this whole fullness that builds a Black boy. As the play sways between comedy – because if you don’t laugh you’ll cry – and tragedy, it evokes a whole spectrum of thought considering the summation of a Black boy’s life. It commands singalongs by masterfully placed songs – like Kendrick Lamar’s’ ‘Black’, Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’, and Aaliyah’s At Your Best (You Are Love). It is a truly immersive experience that makes the 2 hours fly by. 

I have never been to a theatre show that felt like it was made just for me, and this show was absolutely that. I was grabbed, pulled apart in a multitude of ways, as their stories and ideas invigorated thoughts on, and exposed, realities within my life. I left teary eyed, inspired, thankful, and truly moved by the masterpiece I had witnessed. 

I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone, as I believe the raw experience is truly so overwhelming. It is a show that must be seen and should have a lifespan longer than several weeks. I’d love for every young Black boy in a maturing moment of adolescence to be able to see it. But even at the age of 28, I felt a majority of my life was unearthed and projected onstage – paved by nothing but lived experiences, and a necessity in capturing it for us to acknowledge.