Scenes With Black Folk is a new play featuring four unnamed ‘somebodies’ as they delve deeply into the everyday experiences of Blackness.
From identity and pride to racism, the long shadows of history and the absurdity of today’s rules around what it means to be Black and to be viewed as such by others.
It comes to Camden Fringe at a time when our complex relationship with race shows no sign of getting any simpler, and the absurdity and comedy of the situation makes for a striking night of modern theatre.
We spoke to writer/director Joy Nesbitt for the lowdown.
Tell us a bit about how the play came into being?
I wrote this play in 2020 because I was at a crossroads in my life where I was trying figure out who I was, while also feeling like a lot of expectations were being placed on my by the white gaze.
I wrote this play about that double – or triple – consciousness that you experience as a young Black person because you feel the expectations and stereotypes being placed upon you. I wanted to explore the quest of identity as a Black Person, and to perform the ritual of finding your ‘somebodiness’.
What do you hope the show reveals to Fringe audiences in exploring these lived experiences of ‘being Black’?
I really hope that people think about their role in giving others the space to explore their somebodiness, and that people consider the ways in which they allow expectations to force them to perform a certain way of being.
Which is one of your favourite characters in the piece, and why do you choose them?
There are four characters in this play, and they don’t have names; instead they’re numbered. One of the most interesting characters is THREE.
In this play, all of the characters are some form of somebody, and they’re grappling with who they think they are. THREE is actually a true nobody looking to be somebody. She is uncertain, introspective, a team player, but still learning herself. In this way, she’s the one who is starting this ritual from scratch, and she’s the one who were wondering where she’ll find her somebodiness in the end.
How optimistic are you about the ability of society to become less prejudiced and appearance-based over time, or are things getting worse, possibly aided by the latest tech?
I think the play is really about the ways in which our world’s changing perspectives on others affects our understanding of ourselves.
We live in a time where we’ve reckoned with violent racism, and we’ve moved forward to now reaching a more implicit and complex version of racism. Part of that is because of technology has exposed us more than we ever expected.
Talking of tech, there are VR experiences that can potentially help people feel what it is like to inhabit other body type, and with that in mind, where would you like to take the creative ideas next?
We aren’t doing VR, but I think our next goal for Scenes with Black Folk is to expand the play to new and bigger stages.
Why should locals make sure to book a ticket to see the show?
You should book right now because the play is a real a conversation starter. Bring a friend who you want talk to about their process of identity-making. It’s funny, it’s heartfelt, and most of all, it’s sure to get you talking afterwards.
