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.

Comments

Michael Morpurgo's Farm Boy @ Lichfield Garrick

The author Michael Morpurgo is a brilliant story teller and his Farm Boy story is no exception. This production has at its core a story that hooks you in and keeps you captivated. A grandfather and his grandson talk you through stories from their family that intertwine with the history of World War One and life on a farm. This play had parts that made me smile and chuckle but more parts that gave me goosebumps and a ripple of emotion. When grandfather made a confession and called on his grandson to help him, I was hooked waiting to hear the burden that he had born for his entire life. No spoilers though, come and see the play for yourself. The music in Farm Boy is an original score written by Matt Marks. It enhanced the story telling evoking memories and pictures in my mind. This combined with the strength of the story is clearly the reason the show has been at the Edinburgh Fringe and 'off Broadway' in New York. Throughout the show, there are just two actors on the stage: Gran

Beauty and the Beast @ Lichfield Garrick

“That was so funny I nearly wet myself!” Such was my 11 year old daughter’s review of the Lichfield Garrick’s 2023 Christmas Panto - Beauty and the Beast. Truth be told, although I hopefully have more bladder control than that, I was in pretty close agreement with her. I’m not sure which part of the show was the most hilarious. It may have been the obligatory slapstick gunge and slide routine making pudding in the Beast’s castle kitchen. However, Figgy the animated (and socially borderline) Greek statue was in hot pursuit. Had I been the unsuspecting gentleman who sat on the front row I may have found the audience participation rather less comedic (he loved it really!!!). What I do know though is that by the end of the evening my sides hurt, I’d become seriously dehydrated and my daughter and I were ready for the festive Christmas season to begin! You may wonder how Beauty and the Beast could pass for panto? However, Sam Rabone’s annual Pantomime dame, reappearing as Belle’s hideously

Review of Gangsta Granny by Heartbreak Productions.

In 10 years time, my children won’t specifically remember the occasions that I picked them up from school, cooked our favourite pasta dish or watched their swimming lesson. But they will remember some of things that we did that were out of the ordinary. They will remember some of the memories that we made together. As we headed out of the door on Friday evening, I knew we were making memories. I was just hoping it wasn’t going to be because the whole family had got soaked to the skin sitting in a park on a Friday night watching a play. We had a flask full of hot chocolate, a box of malteasers and some large umbrellas borrowed from a neighbour. We were heading to a Heartbreak Productions outdoor show in Walsall Arboretum. It was pretty exciting heading out in the evening and walking through an empty park to get to the bandstand where the show was being staged. When I told Little Lady what we were going to see, she was extremely excited. In fact, we all were because

Capable Child

Search This Blog