Black Plays - Sexuality

This session examines representations of black lesbian and gay men within the theatre. Black sexuality has often been fetishised and mythologised on stage and, in the case of black homosexuality, has often been viewed as taboo. The four plays in this session present issues concerning identity politics, sexuality and race. With guest speaker Topher Campbell.

Plays covered: Chiaroscuro by Jackie Kay, Sin Dykes by Valerie Mason-John, Boy With Beer by Paul Boakye and Bashment by Rikki Beadle-Blair.

In this series Natasha Bonnelame (until recently the Black Plays Archive Project Manager), will be joined by guest speakers including Lynette Goddard and Topher Campbell, to explore a diverse collection of plays from dramatists of African and Caribbean heritage. Combining performances, clips of past productions and lively discussion, each session will examine a topic, from decolonisation to sexuality, protest theatre to cosmopolitanism.


National Theatre’s Black Plays Archive
Many of the plays covered in this series can be found in the Black Plays Archive. This is an online catalogue of the first professional production of every African, Caribbean, and Black British play produced in the UK. In addition to the catalogue there are a number of contextual resources, including audio recordings of play extracts, essays and video interviews.