Description: Not Black and White comprises of three new plays which examine the state of modern day Britain from the perspective of three leading black contemporary playwrights. Roy Williams, Kwame Kwei-Armah and Bola Agbaje tackle the prison system, the mayoralty and immigration in their respective plays.
Brief description: Bola Agbaje is a playwright who graduated from the young writers programme at the Royal Court in 2007. Her first play Gone Too Far! was performed at the Royal Court Theatre (Upstairs) in February 2007. In 2008, the play won the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliated Theatre. The play was revived in 2008 and returned for a run in the main Downstairs space at the Court, as well as at the Hackney Empire and Albany Theatre. Agbaje was also nominated for the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright of the Year in 2008. Other plays include Off the Endz and Belong.
Review Quotes:
"Kwame Kwei-Armah is a playwright who engages with the politics of race in a combative but thoughtful style...' 'pacy, funny and intelligent" --Henry Hitchings, Evening Standard, 3.11.09
"Kwei-Armah's proven gift for dialogue and dramatic confrontation ... ensures that this rare black middle-class comedy hits home." --Michael Coveney, Independent, 4.11.09 "[It displays] 'a readiness to grapple with a real issue: the problems that will face any British Obama on aspiring to high office.' 'it goes down a storm with its audience and raises a host of issues'" --Michael Billington, Guardian, 3.11.09 "plenty of wit and intelligence" --Dominic Maxwell, The Times, 3.11.09 "This brisk and passionate play is the best thing he's written yet." --Lloyd Evans, Spectator, 14.11.09 "a remarkable collaboration between three of Britain's finest black playwrights" --Euan Ferguson, The Observer, 18.10.09 "compelling...sharp-edged clarity...satisfying narrative punch" --Michael Coveney, The Independent, 4.11.2009