We know that Simon Manyonda is a successful actor, but this is our introduction to his writing. Manyonda greets his DJ, who plays loud beats throughout this Croydon tale of live-in-the moment times, social-media-free with a Nokia phone. We witness his teenage angst and he musically transports us through the noughties of TV’s Dawson’s Creek via London. All Saints’ song Pure Shores provides the soundtrack for the film The Beach in which this young black boy sees the actor Paterson Joseph, and believes that he too could become a film actor. The play is personal and uplifting with excellent acting and ends with a surprising but fitting contribution from the same actor he admired.
I was privileged to see the early workings of this piece, and now its completion is a triumph. I only wish there was a party to follow.
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