In rehearsal: PLAYBOY OF THE WEST INDIES, Birmingham Rep

Being invited into the rehearsal space to enjoy small tasters of plays and musicals that are heading to the stage is one of the greatest pleasures of being a part of West End Best Friend. Previews are often considered public rehearsals to trial the completed piece on an audience. The rehearsal room is often guarded, the mysteries within protected. There is something special and more intimate about being amongst the cast and creatives with no costumes, a simple piano and a set made of chairs. It is these moments, in these rooms, where the breath of life enters the words on the page and ideas are given wings and the permission to fly. 

Though the Broad street theatre was opened in 1971, Birmingham Rep continues to be one of the most pioneering theatres in the UK. It is a producing theatre, investing time and money into new writing, new artists and creatives. To quote the Rep’s website: “We are your REP. A place to be transported – to laugh and cry, wish and wonder. To forget the day you’ve just had and make an evening to remember.” The brief preview of Playboy of the West Indies certainly mirrors that statement.

 The Playboy of the Western World, written by John Millington Synge, premiered in Dublin in 1907 and was greeted with a hostile reception. Irish Republicans and Nationals rioted outside of the Abbey Theatre. Despite this violent reception within a few short years, The Playboy of the Western World became recognised as a masterpiece, destined to fascinate viewers as Freud’s Oedipus complex became more widely known and was subsequently performed multiple times all over the world since its premiere.

In the 1980’s, Mustafa Matura rewrote the text as Playboy of the West Indies delivering a new, multicultural take on an old story. The play opened in 1984 at the Oxford Playhouse and has gone onto be revived several times including a TV adaptation, also written by Matura in 1985. Peter Hepple, whom reviewed the 2004 adaptation for The Stage, stated; "Whereas Playboy of the Western World is recognised as a serious play, despite its comedy overtones, Mustapha Matura’s Trinidadian version is all good humour. Possibly this is because its setting, a small fishing village, may have some significance to West Indians but to us it is simply a colourful background for this clever adaptation."

Now as part of Birmingham 2022 Festival, Birmingham REP will host the world premiere of the new musical adaptation of Playboy of the West Indies. The cast and creatives were careful not to divulge any spoilers of what the musical holds but for those whose interests are already spiked, you can find a brief synopsis on the Rep’s website. For those who do not want to stray from this preview, let me tell you why you should do your utmost to see this piece of theatre. 

In the rehearsal room, a small audience had the privilege to witness two of the original numbers, ‘The Celebration Song’ and ‘The Playboy of the West Indies’, written by Clement Ishmael (Five Guys Named Mo, The Lion King) and Dominique Le Gendre (Royal Opera House, Talawa Theatre). The sound that this incredibly talented cast make on mass lifts the hairs on your arms and resonates deep in the stomach. You do not have to have been to the Caribbean to be swiftly transported to one of its delicious islands. The cast emanate warmth as they sing; the joy is infectious and tangible. It is no stretch of the imagination to turn the simple arrangement of stools and chairs into a local beachside bar, and to hear the music blasting out of a weather worn sound system with the cleanest bass you’ve ever heard. 

Durone Stokes (Ken) identifies that the music and speech is well rooted in Caribbean culture and is relatable to everyone regardless of heritage, it touches the heart. No matter where we come from, how much or little money we have, we all have similarities and can relate to each other on a human level. Angela Wynter (Mama Benin) emphasises the joy and fun of the piece: “it’s just nice, it’s so lovely to return to what I consider my roots, a basic feel good Caribbean musical play. We are bringing all things Caribbean, with added music… it feels good.” Birmingham actor Nathaniel Morrison (Peppe) believes it has the best cultural representation of Trinidad but contains drama comparable to EastEnders. A piece that is vibrant and lively taking you on a wonderful journey of drama, mystery and joy.

By pure accident, I also found myself in a room with co-composer Dominique Le Gendre and learned a lot about the initial writing process. Le Gendre explained that they (Matura, Ishmael, Le Genre and co-director Nicolas Kent) spent hours around the table with Matura’s script converting passages of text into songs. Le Gendre said that the writing was so complete it wasn’t difficult to create the songs and the collaborative process was organic and joyful. 

I have not had the privilege of seeing the play version of Playboy of the West Indies but I am excited to see the musical. Angela Wynter eloquently said: “come to the theatre, enjoy the music, laugh, clap your hands, stand up and dance when the music starts. Just enjoy. Just let go. That’s what we are hoping to achieve with this show” and from the snippet presented today, I believe they have achieved that.

Playboy of the West Indies plays at the Birmingham REP from 10 June–2 July, with tickets available here.