Joe Guy

Description

Joe Boateng, the 'David Beckham' of his generation, is Ghanaian. Naomi, his childhood sweetheart is British and of Jamaican parentage. With Joe's escalating celebrity status comes huge sacrifices, accusations of selling out, temptations and life changing choices. Joe Guy is a stark and powerful contemporary story exploring the historical tension and bitter prejudices existing between African and Caribbean British communities. It looks at how young descendants from Africa distance themselves from a unified urban Black Britain. This urgent examination of identity and celebrity is told in Tiata Fahodzi's renowned visceral style. This is a programme text edition published to coincide with the play's world premiere in a production by Tiata Fahodzi that opens at the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich,on 18 October before coming to Soho Theatre, London.

Roy Williams is a prolific, critically acclaimed writer whose recent works include Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre, 2002, 2004), Little Sweet Thing (New Wolsey, Ipswich/Nottingham Playhouse/Birmingham Rep, 2005) and the stage adaptation of Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith, London, 2007).

Invigorating and thought-provoking The Telegraph There's much here that justifies Williams's growing reputation as a terrific dramatist. He's sharp, he's funny, he writes cracking dialogue. The Times Williams' dialogue ricochets around the stage like gunfire energetic, exciting and entertaining. The Stage Roy Williams is one of the few younger British playwrights working today who could be described as indispensable. Daily Telegraph This is a tough, moving play, the work of a ruthless conscience. Sunday Times