Coming to England, UK Tour Review (2024)
Reviewed by Sam for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Floella Benjamin’s award-winning and iconic book Coming to England has been adapted for the stage by David Wood. The book is much loved by children and is about Floella’s own story of moving from Trinidad to England in the 1960s.
Aged just 10, Floella and her siblings left Trinidad and sailed alone for two weeks to join their parents and other siblings in London. Her dad moved to England to pursue his passion for music (playing the saxophone) and playing in a jazz band. Unfortunately, Floella’s excitement for her new life in England is soon short-lived due to her family being subjected to racism, torment and isolation.
Guided by her mother, and working twice as hard as her classmates, this story shows the transition from a 10-year-old girl to a remarkable woman who is now known as Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect and I wondered if Floella (Julene Robinson) was doing a one woman show but after the introduction, the show came to life. The scenery was intriguing and beautiful to look at as most of it was hand painted, it made the production even more poignant.
As we were introduced to the Benjamin family, which is made up of eight characters, Floella, Dardie (Charles Angiama), Marmie (Maryla Abraham), Ellington (Shaquille Jack), Lester (Solomon Gordon), Sandra (Simone Robinson), Roy (Alexander Bellinfantie), Cynthia (Taya Ming) we began to understand their struggles and dreams as well as their vibrant personalities. Nothing gets in the way of what they aspire to be or want in life, and they are all very strongminded – I thought Marmie was an incredible role model, an influential character and a mother I would be proud to look up to.
The carnival scenes were some of my favourites and got the audience swaying from side to side. They were energetic, colourful, welcoming, warm and just a joy to watch. I felt inspired watching the actors on stage celebrating who they are and their culture, it didn’t feel like a rehearsed performance to me, it was like it was a clip from an actual carnival. They were all having so much fun, and I was smiling throughout.
The harmonies in this production are stunning and completely faultless. I often had goosebumps and was in awe of their talents. I particularly loved and laughed at the church scenes, the difference between the two races when in church made me chuckle and reminded me a lot of some of the scenes in Sister Act. I much preferred the Benjamin’s rendition!
There were a number of occasions, especially when the Benjamin family arrived in England, where I felt uncomfortable and guilty for the actions of those who looked like me. I would like to take my hat off to the three white cast members (Jordan Stamatiadis, Christian James and Joe Pieri) who must have found it incredibly difficult to say such slurs with such aggression and hate i.e. ‘go back home’.
I was disturbed by the torment and comments Floella endured when she just wanted to experience school and living in England like any other normal child. These scenes were incredibly moving because sadly, moments like that still happen today and I feel embarrassed that we are not doing more to ensure nobody experiences racism in this country.
The messaging throughout this production is portrayed through exceptional storytelling and encourages us to have difficult conversations with one another. I thoroughly enjoyed the mixed conversations I had with some of the audience members after the show.
Coming to England is thought provoking and educational – yes, a difficult watch at times but we cannot shy away from what happened in the past, we can only strive to make it better for those around us. We should be united and willing to fight for change, together.
If you are keen to understand more about the Windrush Generation and how families were sold a dream which turned out to be a fight for equality and determination, please consider seeing Coming to England. I left the theatre feeling overwhelmed by so many emotions and thoughts which I needed to unpack to truly understand what and how the Windrush Generation must have felt during that time. I can never fully understand the prejudice Floella and her family faced as I have never and will probably never experience it, but I am committed to stamping it out and educating people wherever possible and you can do it too by supporting this show.
Coming to England is on at Lichfield Garrick until Saturday 5 October, with several performance times available here. The show will then tour a number of venues around the UK, including the Midlands.
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