Conceived as the brother to Tyler Perry’s inspirational film ‘For Coloured Girls’ (itself based on 20 poems by Ntozoke Shange), ‘For Black Boys’ is an emotionally charged deep- dive, verbalising their joy, insecurity, alienation – a call to black men to engage with themselves emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
As a therapist’s empyrean voice booms from above, grave questions probe six young black men, throwing them into an emotional rollercoaster of discovery and redemption. Through eclectic sounds and instinctual choreography, these ‘patients’ reflect on traumatic childhoods, perceptions of fatherhood, love and suicidal thoughts. With synchronised winces and shudders, they move as if they are six parts of a thriving organism, each representing the different perceptions of ‘a black boy’ that society curates. Effortlessly morphing into a plethora of side characters, the characters relive adolescence, first-loves, and obligatory bravados, and are forced to examine taboo topics within the black community: queerness, sexual harassment, colourism, domestic abuse, gang life, sexuality, physical insecurity, hereditary diseases, suicide, tokenism and self- sabotage are all explored with dark humour and nuanced sensitivity, showcasing valid diasporic perspectives.
The juvenile staging and flamboyant costumes become an homage to the youthfulness black boys are deprived. As the characters frolickingly ascend and descend, director Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu creates an illusion of them in a playground, retaliating against the perceived hyper-masculinity of black men. As we follow their unpredictable journeys, the intentionally disjointed flow underscores that black boys are jolted into mentally draining circumstances with no warm-ups, breaks or preparation. While the dénouement appears hasty, the boys’ renewal on life remains intact through the poignant performances. Each character’s multidimensionality is captured through the unembellished dialogue, peppered with Nietzschean references and memorable aphorisms. We are forced to cry, laugh and jeer as the actors’ energy emanates from the stage with soul-stirring monologues and fist-clenching soliloquies.
Written as a reminder to his own sons, writer Ryan Calais Cameron provides a lens to peer into a black boy’s soul, feel his deep-rooted pain and unearth his regal strength. The show successfully deconstructs pre-conceived boxes and notions of black manhood, a carefully crafted manifesto for young black men to follow, which begins with the importance of self-love, and forges a path to powerfully raise their voices in spaces intent on stifling them.
Name of Production:For Black Boys (who have considered suicide when the hue gets too heavy)
Year of Production: 2021
Venue: New Diorama Theatre
Cast: Mark Akintimehin, Emmanuel Akwafo, Nnabiko Ejimofor, Darragh Hand, Aruna Jalloh, Kaine Lawrence
Director: Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu
Writer: Ryan Calais Cameron
Music/Composer: Nicola Chang
Designer: Anna Reid
Lighting: Chuma Emembolu
Producers/Production Company: Nouveau Riche
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