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Waiting for Sandy: Milked @WhiteBearTheatre

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Two lads looking for meaning and lots of time on their hands are at the heart of Milked. Simon Longman's play first premiered in 2013. While it may not capture the latest malaises and anxieties affecting post-pandemic youth, it has enough of a familiar ring to it for anyone who has eavesdropped on the thoughts and musings of young people when out and about. And with some lively performances by the two young men, you feel drawn into their bizarre little world as the conversation runs from the routine to the ridiculous. It's currently having a short run at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington.  The premise is that Paul (Iwan Bond) is searching for a job that becomes increasingly desperate. He wants to find a job in media (whatever that is) but has neither the skills nor the experience to do it. And being based in Herefordshire rather than London makes it a stretch to be considered for anything. His mate, Snowy (Evan L. Barker), seems to be on a journey of self-discovery. His fat...

Scientific pursuits: Family Tree @BrxHouseTheatre


Family Tree, by Mojisola Adebayo, uses the power of words to weave a story about race, inequality, health and the state of the world from the perspective of black women. It’s provocative, disturbing and methodical in depicting inequality throughout time. But it’s also a celebration of life and thriving in the face of relentless adversity. It’s currently playing at Brixton House.

The guide to the story is Henrietta Lacks. Lacks was a black woman who died from cervical cancer in 1951. The hospital that treated her was the only hospital that would accept black patients in the area; it took a biopsy and collected her cells without her knowledge or consent. Scientists found that hers could be kept alive, unlike other cells that only survived for a few days. Today her cells are the oldest and most commonly used human cell line used to test the first polio vaccine, cancer treatments and covid-19 vaccines.


The guide, Lacks (Aminita Francis), introduces us to a world where segregation and inequality meant that the only hospital available to her would harvest her cells without her knowledge and keep the discoveries from her family for many years. The piece weaves tale after tale of black women erased from history. Henrietta Lacks, enslaved women in the 19th century forced to undergo cruel experiments or black NHS workers required to work without the necessary PPE during the pandemic. The times may have changed, and history may not repeat itself, but the inhumanity still rhymes in many uncomfortable ways. 

Part poetry and part dialogue between the performers, the piece is at its strongest, conveying the story of injustice and inequality. It can be hard to follow as it moves between the poetry and dialogue, but the argument remains the same. 

The cast conveys the necessary anger and humanity of the piece with focused performances as they play a variety of characters. And the staging with simple circles could be the Garden of Eden or a Petri dish to underscore the themes. 

The piece won the 2021 Alfred Fagon Award, the leading Black British Playwriting prize for the best new play. It is a marvel for its clarity and incisiveness in telling the story of Henrietta Lacks against the backdrop of institutionalised racism.  

Directed by Matthew Xia, Family Tree is at Brixton House until 23 April. It then moves to tour through to 17 June. Check the Actors Touring Company website for details. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Photos by Helen Murray


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