That Black Theatre Podcast: Black Women Time,1980s -1990s, Jackie Kay, Valerie Mason-John and Lynette Goddard

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11/09/20 • 54 min

This week, we discuss the position of Black women playwrights in the 1980s and 1990s. We talk to Professor Lynette Goddard (Royal Holloway University) about the politics of representation and Black lesbian and queer playwrights, including Jackie Kay and Valerie Mason-John. We talk about Jackie Kay’s Chiaroscuro, which looks at sisterhood and the plurality of Black women’s experiences. We also include a clip and discussion from Valerie Mason-John’s play, Sin Dykes, which discusses inter-racial lesbian relationships, BDSM and legacies of racial trauma.

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References:

Jackie Kay (1987/2011) ‘Chiaroscuro’ in Lynette Goddard (ed.) The Methuen Drama Book of Plays by Black British Writers. London: Bloomsbury, pp.59-119

Valerie Mason-John (1998) Play script of Sin Dykes MPS 11988 (British Library, Archives and Manuscripts).

Colin Chambers (2011) Black and Asian Theatre in Britain: A History. London & New York: Routledge.
Peter Fryer (1984) Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain. London: Pluto Press.

Peter Fryer (1985) Black People in the British Empire: An Introduction. London: Pluto Classics.

Lynette Goddard (2007) Staging Black Feminisms: Identity, Politics, Performance. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Dimple Godiwala (2006) Alternatives Within the Mainstream: British Black and Asian Theatre. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.

Ashley Tellis (2007) ‘We Sinful Dykes: Lesbian Sexuality in Valerie Mason-John's Sin Dykes’ in Dimple Godiwala (ed.) Alternatives Within the Mainstream II: Queer Theatres in Post-War Britain. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press, pp.239-247

Email [email protected]

Social @nationaltheatre

References:

Jackie Kay (1987/2011) ‘Chiaroscuro’ in Lynette Goddard (ed.) The Methuen Drama Book of Plays by Black British Writers. London: Bloomsbury, pp.59-119

Valerie Mason-John (1998) Play script of Sin Dykes MPS 11988 (British Library, Archives and Manuscripts).

Colin Chambers (2011) Black and Asian Theatre in Britain: A History. London & New York: Routledge.
Peter Fryer (1984) Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain. London: Pluto Press.

Peter Fryer (1985) Black People in the British Empire: An Introduction. London: Pluto Classics.

Lynette Goddard (2007) Staging Black Feminisms: Identity, Politics, Performance. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Dimple Godiwala (2006) Alternatives Within the Mainstream: British Black and Asian Theatre. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Press.

Previous Episode

That Black Theatre Podcast: 1980s, Michael Abbensetts, Winsome Pinnock

This week we are looking at the 1980s, a time when there was a ‘boom’ in Black theatre production in Britain. We discuss the political and social changes that occurred in 1980s Britain, a decade of Thatcher’s Tory government, recession, and institutional racism.

We look at Michael Abbensetts’ In the Mood, and Winsome Pinnock’s A Hero’s Welcome. Both of these plays talk about migration and the legacies of the Second World War in very different ways. Michael Abbensetts asks how radical black politics can work within conventional political institutions, while Winsome Pinnock creates a female-centered story about life in the West Indies after the war.

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Social @nationaltheatre

References:

Michael Abbensetts (2001) Michael Abbensetts: Four Pays. London: Oberon.

Winsome Pinnock (1993) ‘A Hero’s Welcome’ in Kadija George (ed) (2018) Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers. Twickenham: Aurora Metro Press, pp.23-70.

Nicola Abram (2015) ‘Looking Back: Winsome Pinnock’s Politics of Representation’ in Brewer, Goddard and Osborne (ed.) Modern and Contemporary Black British Drama. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.95-112

Kehinde Andrews and Lisa Amanda Palmer (2016) Blackness in Britain. London: Routledge.

Kehinde Andrews (2017) ‘How to stay radical within an institution’, TEDxYouth@Brum (YouTube video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFUymWxfrkQ

Kehinde Andrews (2019) Back to Black: Black Radicalism for the 21st Century. London: Zed Books.

Colin Chambers (2011) Black and Asian Theatre in Britain: A History. London & New York: Routledge.
Peter Fryer (1984) Staying Power: The History of Black People in Britain. London: Pluto Press.

Peter Fryer (1985) Black People in the British Empire: An Introduction. London: Pluto Classics.

Lynette Goddard (2007) Staging Black Feminisms: Identity, Politics, Performance. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
David Olusoga (2017) Black and British: A Forgotten History. London: Pan Books.

Next Episode

That Black Theatre Podcast: An interview with Winsome Pinnock

This week we have a really exciting episode: an interview and discussion dedicated to the brilliant and prominent playwright and academic, Winsome Pinnock. Winsome is one of the best-known playwrights working in Britain today. We were lucky enough to speak to her about what it means to be a Black playwright, the history of her work in theatre, how the British theatre industry has changed and what more work needs to be done, and her latest play, Rockets and Blue Lights. Sometimes referred to as the 'godmother' of Black British theatre, Winsome's plays are far-reaching in the themes they explore, spanning a variety of different political, historical and social issues; from drug trafficking to racial profiling, to migration and gender politics, to the Atlantic slave trade. Her awards include: The George Devine Award, Pearson Plays on Stage Award for best play, Unity Theatre Trust Award, Susan Smith Blackburn Prize Special Commendation, and Alfred Fagon Award for best new play 2018.
Thank you so much to Winsome for chatting with us!

To follow Winsome's work you can find her website here: https://winsomepinnock.co.uk/index.php
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Social @nationaltheatre
References:
Winsome Pinnock (2020) Rockets and Blue Lights. London: NHB
Winsome Pinnock (2018) Leave Taking. London: NHB
Winsome Pinnock (2005) One Under. London: Faber & Faber.
Winsome Pinnock (1996) Mules. London: Faber & Faber
Winsome Pinnock (1993) ‘A Hero’s Welcome’ in Kadija George (ed) (2018) Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers. Twickenham: Aurora Metro Press, pp.23-70.