Blue Elephant Theatre, Camberwell, London – until 5th October
Reviewed by Lisa Harlow
3***
It is evident early on how much the content of the play means to the actors, and by the end I am nearing tears. Members of the cast all identify as British but discovered they are third-generation migrants. This link led them to research their heritage. The performance is peppered with radio excerpts as well quotes from stories and memories of the people they had interviewed. In spite of the high tension and tragic events that took place in Brixton in the early 1980s that are played out in Windrush Square, the performance is broken up with sunshine music, dance and humour.
The Windrush generation have been back in the headlines of late, and not for any good reason. These were workers from the Caribbean that travelled in response to a post war labour shortage in Britain, and faced an uphill struggle in terms of acceptance, equality and justice. Windrush Square takes its name from the central public square in the heart of Brixton, where many migrants at the time settled.
We follow the trials and tribulations, and joy and camaraderie, of the Johnson family, from Jamaica, and the daily struggles they face going about their lives. The focus on the interracial relationship between a Johnson daughter and a white man training to be a policeman, allows the story to reveal the jagged obstacles mounted against the pair. Nadeyene Lewis(the daughter and girlfriend) certainly shines brighter through the show and brings magnetism to her expression. Certainly all the actors contributed to an thoroughly enjoyable show and Grandma certainly guaranteed to bring the laughs at the most needed times.
“Please give me strength not to judge” declares the father as his mantra through the times of heightened racial divisions; can his resolve survive the numerous, and more bloody tests, the community faced?
This is a show worth seeing during Black History month. I dare you not to be moved by the ending speech and the reasons this story still needs to be told today.
*One Love*…so says Bob Marley