Live music and spoken word will collide in an explosive gig-theatre event at the Bush Theatre this month.
Jackie Kay’s 1986 play Chiaroscuro will be director Lynette Linton’s first production as artistic director of the theatre and will preview from August 31.
Chiaroscuro will be the final production in the Passing the Baton series, following the acclaimed revivals of Winsome Pinnock’s Leave Taking (2018) and Caryl Phillips’ Strange Fruit (2019) at the Bush Theatre.
When Aisha hosts a dinner party for Yomi, Beth and Opal, who couldn’t be more different, the friends soon discover that they’re all looking for an answer to the same question. What starts out as a friendly conversation between women, soon turns heated when Yomi reveals what she really thinks about Beth and Opal’s relationship.
This production explores the experiences of women of colour across generations and celebrates the many intersections of female identity from the 1980s to now and how women chose to identify themselves.
The cast is Shiloh Coke, Preeya Kalidas (Eastenders, BBC Asian Radio, Bend It Like Beckham), singer-songwriter Anoushka Lucas, whose debut album Dark Soul was recently released, and Gloria Onitiri.
Lynette took over as artistic director of the Bush Theatre this year.
She was previously resident assistant director at the Donmar Warehouse and associate director at the Gate Theatre from 2016-2017 where she set up the Young Associate company.
Lynette directed the Olivier-nominated UK premiere of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize winning play Sweat at Donmar Warehouse which transferred to the West End and Richard II at Shakespeare’s Globe, the first ever company of women of colour in a Shakespeare play on a major UK stage.
Tickets for Chiaroscuro are priced from £10 (concessions available) can be booked at bushtheatre.co.uk or at the Box Office on 020 8743 5050.
Feature image shows Gloria Onitiri (left) and Anoushka Lucas. Credit and copyright: Helen Murray
