Photo credit: Joe Dixy
What are the themes of your play?
Fatherhood, the learned behaviours we pass down through generations, and the emotional nuances and challenges of unlearning.
Why did you write it and why now?
I seldom think plays or ideas come from or are rooted in one specific moment, but rather from a collection of them. For this piece, an impactful conversation with my dad, a profound experience I had facilitating workshops at HMP Thameside prison in 2016, and various conversations with Brothers. They all reached an impasse at a particular point in my life, and I felt compelled to write it when I did.
Which playwrights are you influenced by and in what way?
Tarell Alvin McCraney… I literally just re-read “The Brother’s Size.” He is phenomenal at unfurling the subtleties of Black identity. It’s a play I hold close to my heart.
What do you want to achieve as a playwright?
To continue to tell the truth and tell it in ways that break creative boundaries.