Floella Benjamin's Coming To England @ Lichfield Garrick

Floella Benjamin describes Coming to England as a story of hope and resilience. That's exactly the inspiring message that we took away from this show. Both of my girls have enjoyed Floella's book 'Coming to England' so we went into the show knowing the story well. The show was true to the book and enhanced every detail with a mixture of song, dancing and acting.

The bright, beautiful Trinidadian culture was celebrated but the play also sensitively tackled the reasons why the Windrush generation took the long journey to move to the UK. The show demonstrated the reality of the sacrifices made. We found it particularly sad and hard-hitting when the oldest children remained in Trinidad and were treated badly by 'auntie' and 'uncle'. We were as delighted as the characters when the letter arrived calling the children to England.

England wasn't the utopia that the children or parents imagined and on arrival the weather and houses were a shock. 'Coming to England' tackled issues of racism and discrimination that new arrivals from the Caribbean faced. Seeing the impact of racism through the eyes and experiences of Floella was particularly meaningful and significant. A number of aspects of the show were contrasted. A playground song in Trinidad that Floella had enjoyed was used to taunt and tease in England.

By the end of the show, the words hope and resilience that Floella Benjamin had used to describe 'Coming to England' shone through. The contributions that her whole family had made to the UK were clear and her role in the House of Lords was celebrated.

Coming to England helps a new generation of children begin to understand the experiences of the Windrush generation. It is an important part of British history that this show brings to life through Floella's personal experience.

And in answer to the question at the start of the show...yes, I was a Playschool baby.

Coming to England is currently touring UK theatres. It runs at The Garrick theatre in Lichfield until Saturday 5th October with tickets from £16.

https://www.lichfieldgarrick.com/whats-on/all-shows/coming-to-england/3369

Special thanks to Lichfield Garrick for inviting us along to review the show.

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