Last Updated on 10 June 2021 by Showcall Editorial Team
Kiln Theatre in Kilburn in London is to explore the heritage of the communities of north-west London in the world premiere of NW Trilogy
A trilogy of new plays by Moira Buffini, Suhayla El-Bushra and Roy Williams is to have its world premiere at London’s Kiln Theatre this autumn.
The Kilburn theatre’s artistic director, Indhu Rubasingham, has revealed more details about the upcoming NW Trilogy which will run from 6 September to 9 October 2021, with opening night on 14 September.
Set among the vibrant, intense cacophony of north-west London, it is a collection of vivid stories that remember and celebrate people who changed the course of history. The personal is political in these soulful explorations of what it means to be part of one of the most dynamic communities in the world.
In Moira Buffini’s Dance Floor, we meet homesick Aoife at the dance floor in “County Kilburn”, where there is more at stake than a dance.
In Roy Williams’ bittersweet Life of Riley, Paulette is on a journey to connect with her estranged father Riley, a reggae musician once part of the influential Trojan Records scene, who can’t seem to let go of the past.
Suhayla El-Bushra’s Waking/Walking introduces us to Anjali, a wife, mother and newly arrived migrant after Idi Amin’s expulsion of the Asian minority from Uganda, who is torn between not making a fuss and seizing her moment to take a stand in the long strike at Grunwick Film Processing Laboratories in Dollis Hill in the 1970s.
Rubasingham said: “Originally I set out to create a production which would celebrate the real people of our borough as part of Brent Borough of Culture 2020. Although we weren’t able to produce it last year, we haven’t stopped working on NW Trilogy and in 2021 it feels like these plays are even more relevant. They put our community centre stage and celebrate their remarkable achievements.
“Although the stories we’re telling are from over 30 years ago, their impact lives on and is ever present on the streets of Brent. It’s also not just about north-west London. NW Trilogy is a show for anyone who values the vibrancy, energy and resilience of Britain – a country of many voices, cultures and histories.”
NW Trilogy will be directed by Taio Lawson and Susie McKenna, with design by Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey, lighting design by Richard Howell and music and sound design by Ben and Max Ringham. The team also includes movement, fight and intimacy director Yarit Dor, musical director Abdul Shyllon, assistant director Ashen Gupta and casting director Briony Barnett.
Tickets are initially available with social distancing in place which will be reviewed as the government guidelines change. The production will be performed in line with all official government guidelines in place for September and October 2021 and therefore may end up not being socially distanced.
