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Chiaroscuro Tickets

Jackie Kay's Chiaroscuro reimagined at the Bush Theatre

To Be Confirmed.

Performance dates

31 August - 05 October 2019

Run time To be confirmed.

Includes interval

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Tickets for Jackie Kay’s Chiaroscuro now available!

Chiaroscuro is a stunning work by Scottish National Poet Jackie Kay, Bush Theatre will host an extremely limited run of this newly reimagined work from 31 August to 15 October. You will not want to miss your chance to experience this revelatory exploration of the lives of women of colour across generations.  Be certain to get tickets for Chiaroscuro early to secure the very best seats at the very best prices. 

What is Chiaroscuro?

Chiaroscuro is a term that describes the use of strong contrasts between light and dark to affect a composition giving it volume, depth and dimensionality.  Aisha, Yomi, Beth and Opal are all very different people but when they come together for a dinner party that Aisha is hosting, the women soon realise that they all seem to be looking for an answer to the same question; who are they, really? What begins as a pleasant dinner conversation among friends quickly turns heated when a revelation is made about Yomi’s opinion of the new relationship between Beth and Opal. 

This new piece of incendiary gig-theatre mixes live music and spoken word to revitalise Jackie Kay’s 1986 debut play. This fresh and topical treatment highlights the life experiences of women of colour and celebrates female identity through the decades. 

The Cast of Chiaroscuro

The incredible cast of Chiaroscuro will come together to tell stories that are so important because for so long women have been lost to and because of history and their stories have been swept away. The cast will feature Preeya Kalidas from EastEnders, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Bend It Like Beckham along with Gloria Onitiri from West End shows like The Lion King, The Bodyguard, and Caroline, Or Change. They will be joined by singer, actor and composer Anoushka Lucas from Jesus Christ Superstar and Shiloh Coke from the recent West End production of Misty who is pulling double duty as an actor and the show’s Musical Director. 

The show was written by multi-award-winning writer and Makar, Scottish National Poet, Jackie Kay. It will be directed by Lynette Linton who is the director of the recent West End hit Sweat.

This explosive performance is not to be missed. Be sure to get tickets for Chiaroscuro during its limited time at the Bush Theatre in London.

Access

There will be an Audio Described Performance Saturday 28 Sept at 2.30pm.

Recent Reviews

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Latest Chiaroscuro News

Top 6 must-see London shows for Black History Month UK 2019

Features

Top 6 must-see London shows for Black History Month UK 2019

It's October, and although for many people that means Halloween, scary movies, and sweater weather, the first full month of autumn is also a very important time for cultural recognition! Having been observed annually in the UK for nearly 40 years, Black History Month is now upon us! And this year's Black History Month is already set to be extra special thanks to the upcoming inaugural Black British Theatre Awards, an all-new ceremony set to honour black talent in the British performing arts for (surprisingly) the first time ever. 

This recent development in UK theatre has been long overdue, especially when you consider that talented black British artists and playwrights have been on the scene for a very long time, making extraordinary headway in recent years with both West End and Off-West End productions. Perhaps a shocking testament to the conservatism of UK theatre is that it wasn't until very recently (at the end of 2018, in fact) that Natasha Gordon's play Nine Night became the first-ever play by a black British playwright to run in London's West End after the show transferred from the National Theatre to Trafalgar Studios

It's now becoming increasingly evident that theatres nationwide are making unprecedented efforts to cast the spotlight on new voices never before heard in major theatrical productions. These endeavours are undoubtedly a fantastic step in the right direction, but it stills leaves many of us wondering why diversification wasn't being fought for ages ago. Nevertheless, we can't argue that the right thing is finally being done and we couldn't be more excited about the future of black British talent.  

Thus, we present our picks for the Top Six London Theatre Shows You Should See For This Year's Black History Month below. Do you agree with our list?

1 Oct, 2019 | By Nicholas Ephram Ryan Daniels

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