Inspired by the Japanese Goze; female musicians who would travel around medieval Japan to tell their stories to make a living, both Yellow Earth and Extant Theatre have teamed up to create a multi-disciplinary piece exploring what it means to navigate a world being a visually impaired performer. Flight Paths will witness two female performers take centre-stage as they perform a mixture of verbatim interviews and aerial sequences choreographed by Upswing’s Vicki Amedume. Ahead of their first few shows at the Harlow Playhouse Theatre and Stratford Circus, both Artistic Directors Kumiko Mendl and Maria Oshodi spoke to us about the creation of the show.

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Facing the potential prospect of deportation to an environment once fled in the hope of achieving a better quality of life must be one of the most distressing experiences an individual could go through. To have your concept of ‘home’ shaken by the very land in which you were born in, a devastating reality for many; as is evident with the shocking revalations of the Windrush Scandal. The term ‘home’ although seemingly simple, a complex one. Tolu Agbelusi’s Ilè La Wá delves into this multifaceted term, drawing out underrepresented crucial conversations that currently echo within the macrocosm.

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The subject matter of immigration has been banded around for years now; a matter that has been a crucial player in terms of the significant political decisions made within the UK. With the effects of Brexit starting to impact our economical and societal landscape, the concept of ‘home’ couldn’t be anymore of a hot topic. Initially showcased 2 years ago during the Leave/Remain campaigns that would see the UK ultimately decide to leave the EU, Ilé La Wà (We Are Home) would later draw parallels with the shocking revalations of the Windrush Scandal. Playwright Tolu Agbelusi talks us through her debut topical play.

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The story of settling into a new culture, having to assimilate and build up a life via independent means is a story that many immigrants share. Often travelling from their country of origin with little income and having experienced tough upbringings, whether that be due to political regimes, limited resources, social climates or for other various reasons, these factors only ever go on to strengthen an individual. In-Sook Chappell’s Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok taps into this narrative of immigration, a dream play that marries the past with the present.

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Black Theatre Live and Stratford Circus present Big Foot, a coming of age tale courtesy of Highrise Theatre. There’s no doubt that our teenage years are probably some of our most challenging times, as we find ourselves constantly at odds with the world, battling the constant shift of hormones, not to mention the overriding expectation of passing exams and proving to your parents that you know best! Crafting his very own story of teenage life, Joseph Barnes-Phillips depicts a world weaved with Guyanese storytelling and Grime to highlight and celebrate the importance of culture within our formative years.

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Inua Ellams is a Nigerian born internationally touring poet, playwright, graphic designer and artist. A man with this many talents is bound to put on an interesting show. An Evening with an Immigrant is set up in a small intimate space which adds to the honesty of the show. This isn’t really a play; more an engaging and insightful conversation.

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It’s bedtime and a little girl is getting ready for sleep. Her mum starts to tell her a bedtime story but work worries and deadlines take her away. This is a story of adventure, where a young girl rescues her mum with the help of her imaginary friend, Three, journeying to the unknown and various magical destinations.

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It’s Afro Vibes Festival down at Stratford Circus this month and when I got there I was welcomed by the sound of The Soil, with talented support from a youth choir. It was an energetic start, and I joined in with gusto, if not grace. Rhetorical takes a retrospective look at the political career of Thabo Mbeki, a key player in the ANC and Mandela’s successor. The piece is a series of separate pictures, based around three of his speeches and sewn together in a broad tapestry illustrating some of the many perspectives of the South African people. The poor still desperately poor, still waiting for the change they have been promised while the rising middle class cling to their newfound freedom. We are brought into family life and political arenas and on to the streets and slums, to witness the state of a society still recovering from the many wounds of apartheid as well as some more recently inflicted.

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