Artists from Theatre Peckham's YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK SEASON Introduce Their Shows: Part Three

With Theatre Peckham's Young, Gifted and Black season in full flow, BroadwayWorld chats to representatives of the final three performances left to be staged. Thus far, seven have made their mark on southeast London. The season has been curated by the theatre's Associate Director Phillippe Cato, with ten shows in total exploring themes of identity, friendship, loss, self-discovery and black womanhood.

Musician Kaia Laurielle speaks of the season's breadth of focus: 'it's great that Theatre Peckham are showcasing talent within the black community, giving us a platform to share our individual, similar yet different, narratives'. An annual event, emerging artists also present their talent. Adeolu Banjo of The Culture Drip Showcase says it's an "honour" to be involved, presenting their first ever live event.

With the final performance only days away, we take a sneak-peek at the final shows to take to the stage.

---

The Culture Drip Showcase curated by Adeolu Banjo

27 October, 7.00 PM

Tell us about the show!

The Culture Drip Showcase is a show dedicated to creative freedom, young talent and living [out] your passion. The concept of the show stems from my love for live performance and the connection the performer has with their audience. Like an unspoken contract, where one can be vulnerable and express their true selves in front of encouraging spectators.

This is where the idea for The Culture Drip Showcase began, and the live show offers a platform for some of the most talented emerging black talent to live their most true selves and freely express their passions to an audience ready to celebrate them. I hope people will leave this night feeling inspired and that they were part of something special.

Who are some of the acts in your line up?

We have a stacked line up, with our host MC Max Mckenzie providing a comedy set first on the bill. He is the life of the show as someone who has been in the comedy and open mic scene honing his skills.

Our headliner Chloe Carterr is truly one-of-a-kind. A special type of performer that is able to silence an audience with her words.

What will a young audience member enjoy from attending Culture Drip?

Young audiences are in for a night of inspiration. This show is a celebration of the creative passion in young people.

It is created by young people, starring young people, for young people. The Culture Drip Showcase is a night of celebration.

One Way Out by Montel Douglas

28 - 30 October, 7.00 PM (4.00 PM Sunday)

Tell us about the show!

One Way Out is about friendship and young people gaining independence.

Devonte, Tunde, Paul and Salim finally leave sixth form and embark on their first steps towards independence. When Devonte faces a life-changing event, it forces the young men to make decisions that will either bring them closer together, or destroy their brotherhood as they know it.

With ambitious goals ahead of them, the realities of the world around them start to reveal themselves. Their surroundings and cultural differences begin to affect their friendship, as the route to their dreams begin to narrow. The group embark on a journey to help Devonte get his life back on track, whilst discovering about themselves.

'Can we determine our fate? Or do we only have one way out?'.

What are some of the challenges that the play looks at concerning young people stepping towards independence?

Young people may encounter risks and difficulties such as social isolation, criminal exploitation, drug addiction, emotional abuse, neglect, youth crime, low skills, Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), and poverty.

The young men [in the play] struggle to get their first job whilst the government is always changing, so they start to realise how difficult it is to reach their long-term objectives. Their own voices start to emerge when they enter adolescence, and they start to correct their parents' errors. In One Way Out, the positive influence independence has on young people's self-confidence and sense of control over their lives is explored.

Why was this show created?

To create in lockdown, because I wanted to continue being creative during a period of low inspiration and motivation. The [play] is based on a true narrative, with some of the events experienced through my family's eyes. I was curious to learn more about black Londoners' experiences [who are] of Jamaican descent.

It questions the provocation of 'we all have the same 24 hours in the day?'. But do we? The challenges we face from being from different races, classes and educational backgrounds affect our positions in society. [One Way Out considers) how this could be explored through the lens of young, energetic men, who have some naivety but also some guidance from the generation before them.

In the Key of Love, performed by Kaia Laurielle

1 - 2 November, 7.30 PM

Tell us about the show!

In The Key of Love is an intimate live music and visual performance. The show will be broken down into three stages: 'In love', 'Fake Love' and 'Self Love". With a live band, I'll take the audience on a journey of musical storytelling, singing about personal experiences centred around love, nostalgia, belonging and self-worth.

As a black woman, I often feel invisible in society and believe it's important for people's stories to be heard and shared. Therefore, I will be asking audience members about some of their personal experiences within those three stages of love. This will be done through cards placed on their chairs that they can optionally fill in as they arrive. I incorporate visual projection/screening with my performances. At the shows, I will include coloured visuals that reflect the mood and feeling I felt during those stages of love and its process.

What or who are some of your creative influences?

The greats like Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone, then the Golden Age of Neo-Soul and RnB with artists like D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. Then, more contemporary electronic artists like Sohn and Kaytranada.

Creatively, I love space and sounds, so melodies that you feel you can just sink into and get lost.

What are the benefits of performing multiple creative artforms at once?

You're stimulating various sensory feelings within the live performance experience. People can also take away so much from the moments you shared with them, be it musical storytelling, visual art and vibrations.

It's all just versions of escapism.

Young, Gifted and Black season at Theatre Peckham until 2 November