For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy – Garrick Theatre, London

Writer and Director: Ryan Calais Cameron

Very few plays can pull off the tricky balance of entertainment and fun while also tackling serious issues with subtlety and nuance, but Ryan Calais Cameron’s For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy is a tour-de-force in theatre-making that achieves just that.

Originally debuting at the New Diorama Theatre in 2021, this production has evolved over numerous iterations at the Royal Court Theatre and the Apollo Theatre before culminating in its current run at the Garrick Theatre. The success and longevity of this play is heart-warming to see, as it possesses an empathetic core that should be experienced by all.

For Black Boys… takes a forthright and unapologetic dive into the psyche of young Black men today, exposing the rarely talked about issue of male mental health. Cameron’s dialogue executes this beautifully, representing six men with different and conflicting perspectives on the Black male experience. No stone is left unturned in the exploration of this theme, unearthing familial abuse, generational trauma, racism, self-esteem and the expectations of being a man.

The piece does so much with so little. Driven by the exuberant onstage presence and charisma of the ensemble, consisting of Tobi King Bakare, Shakeel Haakim, Fela Lufadeju, Albert Magashi, Mohammed Mansaray and Posi Morakinyo, they dominate and play the stage with effortless ease.

Consisting of a coloured backdrop which later unveils an even more grand design by Anna Reid, the stage is used as a sounding board for the multiple theatrical languages that are employed in the play. Tightly choreographed dance sequences, courtesy of Theophilus O. Bailey, punctuate the piece to raucous applause, while renditions of songs by the ensemble themselves prompt singalongs from the crowd. Each actor delivers these moments with stunning prowess and striking awe.

The way that the play’s intertextuality weaves in monologue, song and dance is fluid and exceptional, creating a piece of work that is a true tapestry of the multi-faceted lives that all of these men live. This type of open-book approach to discussing mental health is so impactful as it never tries to teach or lecture the audience. They are invited into the lives of these men to see them from every angle, while also making sure to do what theatre does best: to entertain.

Ryan Calais Cameron’s For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy is a triumph of the theatrical medium and furthers the discussion of mental health issues in the best way that theatre can.

Runs until 4 May 2024