Review: Black Power Desk, A Sensational Musical
There are these special moments in the arts where every so often, the experience stays with you in a way that goes beyond the walls of a gallery or stage. That’s Black Power Desk, the powerful new musical by playwright Urielle Klein-Mekongo (OLD VIC 12, ROUNDHOUSE, THE BUSH), with original music of reggae, SKA, RnB composed by platinum-selling songwriter Renell Shaw (Rudimental). Set in the 1970s and inspired by the real-life events of the Mangrove Nine and the British Black Power movement, this play doesn’t miss a beat, but more than that, it’s a story that puts urgent context to very recent British history.
Black Power Desk, at its heart, is about two sisters, Dina, an activist fighting for her community (Veronica Carabai), and Celia (Rochelle Rose), who carries the burden of being the older sibling. Their relationship is tested by ambition, activism, external love and loss, all of which reverberates through their community, centred in The Drum, a Jamaican restaurant.
Right: Rochelle Rose (Celia) right, middle Veronica Carabai (Dina), left Chanté Faucher (Maya)
Much like the Mangrove Restaurant in Notting Hill owned by Trinidadian Frank Crichlow, where activists Darcus Howe and Altheia Jones-LeCointe met, The Drum too, played centre stage to the community's activism and consequently, a target for police raids and harassment. The play artfully balances the emotions and vibe of the audience through an outstanding score that exposes the scars of British history, the police, and the Black community. We sit as witnesses to people who are trying to make a life in a country where they are not welcomed, humanity cast aside because of the colour of their skin and the paths they take to figure out how to stand up for themselves, that will make a change, whether through like-for-like violence or peaceful protest.
Far right: Gerel Falconer (Carlton), second right: Alexander Bellinfantie (Jarvis), third from right right: Rochelle Rose (Celia) right, middle Veronica Carabai (Dina), left Chanté Faucher (Maya)
The ensemble cast bodied their roles to levels that almost created a pantomime-like atmosphere in our response to certain scenes. I don’t know if it was just something about this particular night, but it felt like we, the audience, were part of the community, the cast. Our participation in raising a glass, taking a vote felt so authentic. Let’s also take a moment for the vocal performances that brought the house down. At one point mid-show, Rochelle received a standing ovation after one of her powerhouse songs.
The play sits within Brixton House as part of its Uprising Festival, a season of work commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Brixton Uprising, sparked by the police shooting of Dorothy “Cherry” Groce in 1985. Places like the Brixton House are critical to Black stories being platformed, and it’s just as important to go out and support them. Urielle’s Black Power Desk was five years in the making and right on time as the country sees a resurgence of race-related hate on the streets and in government.
Black Power Desk is empowering and fills you with pride; the community it reflects, which for some of you reading, would have been your parents, aunties, uncles, and grandparents, put up a resistance. That’s the feeling you walk away with more than anything else.
Playwright Urielle Klein-Mekongo “This musical was borne from a desire to delve deeper and discover the stories from Black British history that have been left untold. My inquisitiveness led me to create a story in the context of the Black British civil rights movement and how the establishment tried to extinguish it. At its heart are two sisters, one who is an activist fighting for humanity and the other who wants to hold on to family and live their humanity without the struggle. Told through the lens of two women with a rich 70s musical soundscape, I hope it will touch many hearts and stirs the soul.“
Urielle Klein-Mekongo in rehearsals
Every second of the rapturous standing ovation was earned. The cast, production house, and all involved in bringing the play together deserve it to be nothing shy of a sensational hit. Black Power Desk runs from September 1st - 28th at Brixton House. Tours to Warwick Arts Centre, Lowry, and then Birmingham Hippodrome in October.
