London is always a good idea.

1. Chewing Gum Dreams
(seen on Wednesday September 23 at Theatre503, London)
Hopping on the Amsterdam-London train to see Chewing Gum Dreams at Theatre503 in London was the perfect way to start Autumn. And, to reload for what feels like the most packed season in the Dutch cultural agenda. Here, October to December will have you squinting and blinking at the same time. The Dutch theatre world doesn’t just need more works. It specifically needs more of this. More of this clever, fresh-fresh, high paced and very, very funny writing. Original, unapologetic, non-explanatory, free, razor-sharp writing. Michaela Coel, who wrote the script for Chewing Gum Dreams, is of course a genius with the pen. I’d love to hear/read more about her writing process ànd I’d love to learn more about the kind of reader she is.

For its initial run, Chewing Gum Dreams was described as ‘a one-woman play that recalls the last days of innocence before adulthood.’ Seeing it was a perfect night out for two NL-based theatre lovers who are tired of the ‘Destination: Explanation!’ and ‘Identity as the whooole storyline’ pieces we’re often flooded with. Chewing Gum Dreams offered us the fun and relaxation we were craving for.
Lauryn Ajufo was brilliant as Tracey. The ways in which she reminds us of Tracey without mimicking Michaela Coel are sublime. Her quickness, the way she goes back and forth between so many different characters that each have their own tone and pace? A joy to watch. This is CRAFT… all caps and a very deep bass. Salutes to director Anthony Simpson-Pike and to Yimei Zhao for the set design. We took it allll in and we very much enjoyed it.


2. Prima Facie
(seen on Tuesday October 13 and Saturday October 17 at the Royal Festival Hall during London Film Festival)
Black women’s co-signs are my favourite reason to go see an adaptation of an outer-canon classic. With ‘outer-canon’ classic I mean a work that’s “world” famous but is no longer or has never been part of my immediate frames of reference. This doesn’t always mean there are gaping zero’s worth of interest. I mean, sometimes…  Mostly it just means that I haven’t invested in seeing or reading it. “Someday, maybe.” Just not right now. And certainly not in a way that puts me in the London Film Festival’s digital waiting line with 2441 people in front of me. But, when Cynthia Erivo is in it?! That 2441-people-line is exactly where you’ll find me. I might have even dressed up for it. Because when cousin Cyn stars in and executive produces a work… darling, that places Prima Facie on the top of my lists.

The film adaption of Suzie Miller’s play Prima Facie had its UK première on Tuesday October 20 at London’s Royal Festival Hall. Both the play and the film are about Tessa Ensler, a successful defence barrister (lawyer) who is painfully confronted by the laws she so fiercely believed in. Tessa Ensler is portrayed by… Cynthia Erivo.
After a good three hours in the waiting list, I booked one of the last 15 tickets for the film. And, after Erivo’s BFI Screen Talk with Clara Amfo the evening before the première, I booked another ticket for a few days later. The way Erivo talked about it made it crystal clear: I’m going to want to see this twice. We were right. And when it comes to the Dutch cinema’s, I’ll watch it a dozen times more. What a gorgeous film. It left the entire Royal Festival Hall quiet-quiet. This film is breathtaking. The cinematography, the costumes, the music, the care invested in now portraying Tessa Ensler as a Black woman… with a Black family… Black routines… and Blackity Black armour.

I loved it so much I bought a special edition of Suzie Miller’s script. After my reading-and-rereading routine I’ll write about how I believe this film is a masterclass of how to turn a one-person-play into a film with multiple, prominent characters. That was my impression after only reading the first scenes and now, eyebrow-deep in my reading-and-rereading routine, it’s something I stand by. To be continues because… my goodness!

And, that thing they say… “Person1 is the Person2 of our time.” Darling, Cynthia Erivo is the Cynthia Erivo of our life. Of. Our. Life!! Awe-mazing.

The picture was snapped during the BFI Screen Talk. No idea why the person in front of me figured that this was the perfect moment to block my view of the screen. But, when closely paying attention, I can’t play around with my phone too much so I guess this is the picture we’ve got.