Our War by Andrew Ashaye. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 408 Brockley Road, London until 02 November 2024, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

Photo credit: Georgia Sims.

Our War by Andrew Ashaye. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 408 Brockley Road, London SE4 to 2 November 2024,

4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russell.

“Helping save the Motherland.”

Given the discussions about reparations for our imperial past at the Commonwealth Heads of Government this well acted two-hander about two young Nigerians who, fed on that myth about the motherland the Empire thrived upon, could hardly be more topical. Ola and Christian are cousins who come to the motherland to help save it during the Second World War. Christian becomes a soldier; Ola is a nurse. They came, they paid to come and did so because the Mother Country needed them, which was what they had been told. The Mother Country used them, but the welcome was qualified – after all they were black. Their story was to be repeated later when the Mother Country welcomed the Windrush generation from the Caribbean. Their contribution to it has been belatedly recognised but Lola Oteh, producer of the play, watching the Cenotaph ceremony one year, realised that something was missing – the black contribution. The result was Andrew Ashaye's play for the Imole Theatre Company about that contribution. It is well directed. staged, beautifully told and Ola Teniola and Lola Oteh-Cole deliver impressive performances. She toils as a midwife in a London hospital, he goes to serve in Burma – not a campaign much remembered now and certainly not for the presence of Nigerian soldiers in the British army there. An evening with things worth saying about something forgotten which should be remembered.

Cast

Ola Teniola

Lola Oteh-Cole.

Creatives

Director – Kate Bannister & Marley-Rose Libard.

Lighting Designer – Chuma Emembolu.

Sound Designer – Florence Hand.

Set Designer – Karl Swinyard.

Video Designer - Douglas Baker.