What's On Ghana magazine

Kwaku Mackenzie, founder of a Black policy think tank, hits the bottle after his father’s death. As media interest in the once dynamic Institute fades, his team grows fractious and then, disastrously, he favours a young Oxford scholar over his own devastated son. When, in a vain attempt to regain influence, he publicly champions division within the Black community, the consequences are shattering.

Are you afraid that a little white man lurks beneath that deep chocolate skin? Yes, that’s your story isn’t it? You’re really a little coconut parading as radical black intellectual.

Kwame Kwei-Armah’s third play for the National takes a punchy, provocative look at the Black British experience and the need, or not, for solidarity. His previous works include Elmina’s Kitchen, which won the 2003 Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and transferred to the West End, and Fix Up. 

This is how they got us to sell each other in the first place… told one tribe they were better than the other.

From 7 November

Director: Jeremy Herrin
Designer: Mike Britton
Lighting Designer: Natasha Chivers
Sound Designer: Yvonne Gilbert

Cast:
Issi : Angel Coulby
Soby : Oscar James
Val : Trevor Laird
Michael Akinbola : Colin McFarlane
Idrissa Adebayo : Chu Omambala
Kwaku Mackenzie Jnr : Javone Prince
Adrian Mackenzie : Clifford Samuel
Lola Mackenzie : Ellen Thomas
Kwaku Mackenzie : Don Warrington

photo (Don Warrington) by Hugo Glendinning