Latest news with #RoyalCourt
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Pioneering London playwright decried gentrification of ‘writer's paradise'
A groundbreaking Trinidadian-British playwright who paved the way for modern Black British theatre makers warned about the dangers of gentrification in Ladbroke Grove, which he believed would ruin the 'writer's paradise'. Mustapha Matura was the first British writer of colour to have work put on in the West End, and used the west London area as an inspiration for many of his plays, which were also staged at the Royal Court and National Theatre. In a letter written in 1992 that is part of the Matura archive acquired by the British Library, he decried the shifts in the west London area, which was home to a strong Caribbean creative community. 'What more could one ask for?' he wrote about the area. 'It's like being in a real-life, long-running soap opera, which I tell myself I'm only researching in order to write about but – not true … I'm a character and a 'writer fella' who prays that the gentrification process that is taking place in the area now does not totally destroy its unique character and characters.' The bohemian area that Matura found in the 60s and 70s has certainly changed, more synonymous now with rising house prices than creative freedom. In 2024, it was reported that residents of Notting Hill received more in capital gains from 2015 to 2019 than the combined populations of Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle. The son of a south Asian man and a creole woman, Matura left Trinidad for the UK in the 1960s. He worked as a hospital porter, frequented the Royal Court and ended up appearing in a B-movie western shot in Rome. It was in Italy where he saw a production of Langston Hughes' Shakespeare in Harlem and thought he 'could do better than that', and began writing. Like other Caribbean playwrights, Matura had a side job while getting his footing, working in a garment factory off Tottenham Court Road. He would jot down ideas and doodles on the back of order sheets, some of which have been retained in the archive. Matura's wife, Ingrid Selberg, said: 'He was supposed to be counting the rolls of material, and he was always skiving off and writing things on the back of the order forms.' Described by one writer as looking like 'a refugee from a 60s band' who wore sunglasses indoors and sported a 'morose walrus moustache', Matura fit into the countercultural world of Ladbroke Grove. He was a key part of a flamboyant group of Caribbean creatives who injected black consciousness into UK culture, along with Horace Ové (who directed the first Black British feature film, Pressure) and Michael Abbensetts (who went on to create Empire Road). Helen Melody, the lead curator of contemporary literary and creative archives at the British Library, said: 'I think he was aware of the political uncertainty and uprisings of the whole movement in the 1960s, which wasn't just in Trinidad but more widely. 'You can see his plays often chart the experience of people who'd traveled to the UK or elsewhere from the Caribbean, but he also still retained kind of an interest in what was happening in the place he left as well.' The archive contains unpublished work including two plays, one called Band of Heroes about Notting Hill carnival and the other about the real-life Trinidadian gangster Boysie Singh. Despite having no formal training, Matura became arguably the most significant playwright from the Caribbean diaspora in the 20th century. He was a founding member of the Black Theatre Co-operative, which was formed by a group of actors who had appeared in his 1979 play Welcome Home Jacko, while his first agent was the formidable Peggy Ramsay. Matura died in 2019 and a funeral was held in Ladbroke Grove, with a steel band sendoff. 'He was such a Trinidadian,' said Selberg. 'But he loved Ladbroke Grove, he loved Portobello Road. He was a kind of Janus with a two-sided head. Interested, equally interested in both Britain and Trinidad, and equally critical of both.'
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
4.48 Psychosis: A blistering return for the most shocking play of 1989
This is a must-see revival of the searing last play by Sarah Kane – in which the most distinctive voice of the 1990s young playwriting wave experimentally explored the subject of suicide via a stream of utterances that combined stark declaration with cryptic lyricism. It's not just any revival, though – but one that replicates the premiere 2000 production that was staged a year after she took her own life, aged just 28. It's at the same venue – the Royal Court Upstairs (the scene too of the brutal 1995 debut, Blasted, which made her name). And the same actors – Daniel Evans, Jo McInnes, Madeleine Potter. There's even the same approach to staging by James Macdonald, down to the final climactic grace-filled coup de theatre in which natural evening light from outside is allowed into the space. Here again, as if we were picking up after a brief hiatus, are the mirrored panels slanting over the action, causing the casually dressed trio of actors to be duplicated. It remains a magical effect – someone lying on the ground can seem to float in mid-air – but also a terrifying one, as if these were souls in free-fall. I saw it – awed – the first time. A generation later and there's no sense of it having become a museum-piece. Despite the cast being visibly older, and perhaps even because of that, it still feels raw. This is a play about the pain of being alive and mortality – the difference today is that one appreciates the staying-power of the piece, as well as its saving mordant wit. Back in 2000, there was an inevitable attendant mood of mourning; the shock of Kane 's death remained palpable. Some critics even described the piece as a suicide note, tempted by its determined articulation of a death-wish. 'At 4.48 [am] when desperation visits I shall hang myself to the sound of my lover's breathing,' runs one early line. But re-watching Macdonald's interpretation, I'm struck by how little the bleak circumstances of the work's creation now impinge. Whether Kane had died or not, this hour-long wrestling with despair would have endured. Her stroke of artistic ingenuity was to take us inside a psychotic breakdown – so that the boundaries between external and internal worlds collapse. What might be remarks made by a psychiatrist, say, also sound like an internal conversation. She catches the chaos of disintegration, but also applies dramatic control. If not every line rings true, that's partly because the writing can get overwrought, partly because the delivery here can sound too off-hand and slick. But the quiet investment of the actors holds good: there's a wintry melancholy to Potter's demeanour that haunts us in its own way, while McInnes has the hopeless air of someone only just coping. Evans, now the co-artistic director of the RSC (where the production will move), brings a warm mellifluousness to the language that, of course, makes you think of Shakespeare, Hamlet, and 'To be or not to be'. Is this in that league? No – but nothing quite like it, or Kane, has come along these past 25 years.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
4.48 Psychosis review – bared anguish and delicate detail in Sarah Kane's final play
What must it have felt like to watch Sarah Kane's final play, whose depressed protagonist plots imminent suicide, knowing that the playwright killed herself the previous year? First staged in 2000, under the shadow of Kane's death in 1999, it is back now with the original creative team, including director James Macdonald and its fine three-strong cast of Daniel Evans, Jo McInnes and Madeleine Potter. They play a divided self, it seems, reflecting on illness, shame, self-loathing, love, betrayal, medication culture and – importantly – the prospect of ending it all at exactly 4.48am. Co-produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the play is again staged in the upstairs theatre at the Royal Court (after which it will travel to Stratford-upon-Avon). It is variously abstruse and lucid in its arguments on life, death and suicide, and still original in form. But this production feels like the reconstruction of a seminal performance rather than a seminal performance for today. Maybe this is because Kane's position has changed in the intervening decades: she sits firmly in the canon. So this replica-like revival has the strange effect of a museum piece in this 'new writing' space, posthumous and reverential. Jeremy Herbert's set is a white square with functional table, chairs and an overhanging mirror that reflects the audience and the protagonist's selves which acquire more fractured counterparts in shadow. Light alters in this room, glowing sharp or soporific, like the setting and rising of the sun (beautifully designed lighting by Nigel Edwards). There are bursts of disturbance within, reminiscent of the grey fuzz of an old TV set, which becomes an inspired visual analogy for the dismal brain fog of depression. The protagonist variously lies prone, circles the stage or sits in antagonistic conversation with a psychiatrist (another inner voice). There are deep, startlingly lyrical passages ('the cold black pond of myself') alongside bathos and grim humour; the script is an exemplar of Kane's perceptive and emotionally unswerving gifts as a writer. But dramatically it is sedate. You wish for something messier, louder, angrier. There are flickers of this – a stunning moment when the protagonist (McInnes) shouts as she lies on the table, enraged at life – yet it then returns to blankness. Maybe this non-mood is the point – a depression that leaves meaningful emotion quashed – but it evokes a kind of vacancy in the air nonetheless. There is still value in its staging and poignancy, too. It is beautifully performed with moments of bared anguish and delicate detail. The opening of the stage windows, a countervailing gesture to the reflection of a closed window on stage, is a haunting, yet exhilarating, final image. At the Royal Court theatre, London, until 5 July. Then at the Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, 10-27 July. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@ or jo@ In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The play that changed my life: ‘Daniel Kaluuya winked at me and my mum – and said he acted better for us'
My mother has always been my champion and has pumped culture into me for a very long time. Theatre and the arts were part of our bonding. She used to say, if you see a show that you like the look of, I'll get tickets. So I'd go on the Royal Court website and if there were many black people in the cast, I'd want to go because I could see myself. I would have been around 16 when I saw Sucker Punch by Roy Williams. It's about two young men who know that their bodies can be a kind of tool to better themselves so they fall into boxing. An aspiring white promoter zeroes in on their talent. It is about rivalry, but also about how community works together, and is a really good investigation of masculinity and the ownership of black bodies. I had been to shows at the Royal Court before but they transformed the space for Sacha Wares' 2010 production. It was completely 360-degree, in the round. I remember the accuracy of the boxing ring, the ropes. It was visceral. The actors were dripping with sweat. And when they moved, we moved, because we thought we were going to get punched! The acting felt so charged and so full-body, as if they'd been plucked from the street. We were fully in it – as if you could ultimately step into the characters' roles if you just walked a couple of metres. It felt very real. I came away feeling, I need to understand how this is made. It was my first time seeing Daniel Kaluuya. I remember him winking at me and my mum in the audience. And Mum shoved me in front of Daniel afterwards. He said it had felt special for him seeing us in the audience because so often the audience is white. He said: 'I acted better for you.' I was a Stagecoach kid – I had been to their classes from a very young age to do drama, singing and dancing. But by that time I was not gagging to be where Daniel Kaluuya was. I had no idea directing could be a career – I wanted to become a barrister. When I realised there was this role, that you could create the vision, that you were actually the orchestrator of the actors, my mind really just opened. I was like, wow, that's where my skill set lies. Years later, after university, I joined the Young Vic's introduction to directing course and Sacha Wares was the programme leader. So I walked into her room and said, gosh, the best show I've ever watched was made by you. Please tell me everything … Marie and Rosetta by George Brant, directed by Monique Touko, is at Chichester Festival theatre, 25 June-26 July As told to Lindesay Irvine
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Crowning ceremony begins Juneteenth Week in Aurora
The city of Aurora officially launched Juneteenth Week 2025 with the crowning of the new Mr. and Miss Black Aurora on Thursday night at Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium, city officials said. The ceremony honored four high school students from across the city, each a symbol of academic success, community service and cultural pride, according to a press release from the city. West Aurora High School senior James Baker was crowned Mr. Black Aurora and will serve as king of the Royal Court. He is a scholar-athlete with a 4.0 grade point average and a student leader, the release said. The new Miss Black Aurora and queen of the Royal Court, Mbayie Tendong, is a junior at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora. She has a 4.2 grade point average and is a science tutor, Sunday School teacher and multi-sport athlete, city officials said. Chantz Trotter, a senior at West Aurora High School, earned the title of prince of the Royal Court. His resume includes government internships, youth advisory roles, volunteerism and more, according to the release. Zyon Askew-Ward, a senior at Metea Valley High School and accomplished cellist, peer mentor and Tri-M Music Honor Society member, was named princess of the Royal Court, city officials said. The 2025 Black Heritage Royal Court will serve throughout the upcoming school year as youth ambassadors and be involved in mentorship, outreach and cultural engagement, the release stated. State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit. D-Oswego, will host her free annual Recycle and Shred Day event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 28, in the parking lot of Kifowit's district office at 1677 Montgomery Road in Aurora, organizers said. The event is dedicated to helping residents safely dispose of sensitive documents and unwanted electronics while supporting environmental sustainability and local nonprofit causes, according to a press release. On-site paper shredding for residents will be offered, with a limit of three 13-gallon trash bags or two banker boxes per vehicle, the release said. The electronics recycling effort at the event will accept items such as computer towers, printers and fax machines, DVD and VCR players, video game consoles, microwave ovens, and receivers and cables, organizers said. TVs and computer monitors will not be accepted at the event, according to the release. There will also be collection of cellphones to be donated to Mutual Ground to support survivors of domestic violence, eyeglasses to benefit Lions Clubs International global vision programs and new or gently used books for donation to Scarce and the Will County Sheriff's Office, organizers said. For more information, call 630-585-1308 or email State Reps. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, and Jeff Keicher, R-Sycamore, will host the Outside Kids Fair on Saturday, June 21, at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva. The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the church at 3435 Keslinger Road. The family-oriented event includes free admission, refreshments and giveaways, according to a press release about the fair. Demonstrations will be given by the Kane County Sheriff K-9 Office, Traveling World of Reptiles Show, DancEncounter School of Dance and World Martial Arts Academy, organizers said. A medical helicopter from Superior Air Medical will be landing at 10 a.m., and a drawing for a bicycle is scheduled for 11:15 a.m., the release stated. Kids will have 27 options for Touch-A-Truck activities, and there will also be face-painting stations, according to organizers. The fair will include participation from over 50 local businesses, state agencies, county departments, police departments, park districts, villages, cities and more, the release stated. The St. Charles Public Library concludes its 2024-25 Sunday Concert Series at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 22, with a performance by percussionist Josh Graham at the library, 1 S. Sixth St. in St. Charles. Graham will perform several recently commissioned works for solo marimba, library officials said in a press release. Graham is assistant professor and percussion program coordinator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, as well as executive director of the trio F-PLUS. The free performance is funded through donations to the St. Charles Public Library Foundation. The second annual Solstice Century Ride cycling event will be held Friday, June 20, to raise money for six area nonprofit charities providing mental health and housing insecurity programs, organizers said. Riders are asked to collect $1,000 or more in donations by completing 100 miles of cycling through the Whalon Lake Forest Preserve near Royce Road and Route 53 near Naperville. Money raised will help support Hesed House in Aurora, DuPage PADS, 4:13, SamaraCare Counseling, Grow Wellness Foundation and Max's Mission. The event begins at 6 a.m. and is organized by Zac Larson, a wealth advisor and avid cyclist. A celebration for riders, donors and volunteers with dinner, music and drinks will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. For more information, go to The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has broken ground on its new Grounds and Natural Resources Campus at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville. The 112,900-square-foot facility will be a main hub for crews that maintain nearly 26,000 acres of preserves in the county and will replace aging and scattered maintenance buildings, officials said. Its eco-friendly features including a solar array for renewable energy, rainwater harvesting systems to conserve water, and native bioswales and basins that support stormwater management and habitat restoration, a district news release said. The campus also includes a native plant nursery support building and greenhouse, which increases its ability to collect and distribute native seeds. The $36.4 million project is expected to be mostly completed by February 2027 with final completion set for December 2027, the release said. It is the largest of 32 projects the district included in its 2019 master plan.
