Garrick Theatre, London – until 4 May 2024
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
5*****
For Black Boys returns to the West End with a new cast and a huge buzz. Chatting in the bar queue before the show, there were people who had seen the show multiple times during its last run and were on their second visit to this production (it’s been open for a week!). This was my first time seeing the show, and wow, from the moment the curtain lifts, For Black Boys lives up to its hype.
A beautifully choreographed, danced and lit sequence eventually morphs into an initially light-hearted playground scene where childish games reveal new experiences and realisation of being different for one young Black boy. Framed as a group therapy session where the young men feel safe to share their experiences and express their feelings, Ryan Calais Cameron’s exquisite writing explores being a Black man in the UK.
The phenomenal cast (Tobi King Bakare, Shakeel Haakim, Fela Lufadeju, Albert Magashi, Mohammed Mansaray and Posi Morakinyo) have a connection and chemistry that infuse the script with a power and heart that both embraces and astounds the audience. The sheer joy when the group begin singing and lose themselves in their dance routines is palpable. Their ensemble work is pristine and builds a camaraderie that makes the final scene the biggest gut-punch you’ll experience in a theatre. Through a series of monologues and responses that weave around and blend into each other, the cast discuss important topics such as racism, mental health, education, aspiration, relationships, masculinity and queerness. These are no lectures however, with different characters with opposing views and life experiences providing a broader picture of the tensions, pressures and expectations influencing each character’s choice (or lack of choice). There is laugh-out-loud comedy as the young men’s wonderfully authentic mocking and reactions lightens the tone, but writer/director Ryan Calais Cameron also allows the moments of deep despair and sadness weight and time to sink in.
The beautifully judged mix of monologue, spoken word, rap and dance looks and sounds amazing, with the talented team of Anna Reid (designer), Rory Beaton (lighting design), Nicola T. Chang (composer and sound design), Theophilus O. Bailey (movement director and choreographer) and John Pfumojena (musical director and vocal arrangements) creating onstage magic.
For Black Boys is one of the most beautifully realised, important and moving productions you will ever see – theatre at its very best.