Boxing, football, rugby and snooker are the subjects of these plays. This session explores sports whose popularity developed at the end of the 19th century, at the height of European colonialism. During the 20th century these sports provided a route through which black people could move through the racial, social and economic divide. The sporting arena as a political and cultural space is discussed and its role as a symbolic site of the African Diaspora struggle. With guest speaker Josephine Melville, playwright, dancer, actress and director.
Plays covered: Sucker Punch by Roy Williams
Shoot 2 Win by Tracey Daley, Josephine Melville and Jo Martin
Sons of Charlie Paora by Lennie James
Four Hundred Pounds by Alfred Fagon.
National Theatre’s Black Plays Archive
Most 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.