Last Updated on 30 September 2021 by Showcall Editorial Team
Bren Gosling’s new play, Proud, is to run in the Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre in south London
Casting has been announced for Proud, a new drama about racism, homophobia and displacement, coming to New Wimbledon Theatre in London.
The play, which will run in the theatre’s studio from 29 October to 5 November 2021, will feature Roger Ajogbe, Levi Goldmeier and Kiren Kebaili-Dwyer. Press night will be 1 November.
It is written by Bren Gosling whose previous works include Moment of Grace at The Actors Centre and Invisible Me, also in New Wimbledon Theatre’s Studio.
It will be directed by Marlie Haco, with a team including set and costume designer Tara Usher, composer and sound designer Ákos Lustyik and lighting designer Chuma Emembolu.
Proud tells a story of conflict and connection. After his Pentecostal mother dies, Roland – black and 40 years old – is liberated to live openly as a gay man. He relocates from Brixton to E17, where he unexpectedly falls for Amir, a 21-year-old refugee with a war-torn past.
Their magnetic connection is tested, however, by Amir’s PTSD and his inability to identify as gay and Roland’s strained relationship with his 15-year-old son, Gary.
What binds these three characters together is the desire to know and understand one another as they struggle to come to terms with their own identities.
Haco said: “Proud has been a long time in the making, but this version of the play now feels more relevant than ever, providing a glimpse into the emotional lives of those oppressed by the forces of war, white supremacy, and homophobia.
“In directing Proud, I hope to reveal both the light and dark of the protagonists’ experience – the joy to be found in relationships, alongside the pain carried within.
“For me, this is a story of how the desire for connection can overcome the debilitating effects of our past and stir us to uncover hidden parts of the other.”
Proud is presented by Backstory Ensemble Productions. The stage manager and production assistant is James Viller.
