August in England by Lenny Henry ★★★★★
August in England is phenomenal.
Written and performed by Lenny Henry, in his own words, he tells the audience that he wants to share the story of a man, born in Jamaica, who came to Britain in the fifties on his mothers passport to commence a life in the UK. However, the life of his character August Henderson (Lenny Henry) is turned upside down. As many of us know, the Windrush Scandal affected many people and August is just one of them.
Sweet reggae music plays as you enter the intimate setting of the Bush theatre. The set is a typical West Indian living room with a Jamaican flag, patterned wallpaper adorned with family photos and bible quotes. There is a red armchair and footstool atop a red carpet. There is also an all too familiar drinks cabinet with the finest glassware and lots of rum (so much rum in fact that the play starts with Lenny Henry handing some out to the audience).
The play opens with August sharing his experiences of travelling from Jamaica to Peckham, aged 8, through to his schooling, move to the Midlands, his first job, not so good reggae band, relationships, children and beyond. And, through these experiences, the audience gains a good understanding of what life was like for August, and his stories are littered with jokes and puns that keep the audience laughing.
The comedy is effortless and there’s an abundance of memorable one liners to take away with you. However, August also highlights the racism he experienced which is a reminder of how difficult life was for those coming from the Caribbean to the UK during this time. It also set the tone for something bigger and more sinister which is yet to come.
August starts to receive letters which he at first ignores but, he soon realises the severity of the matter when they keep on coming. It soon becomes apparent that Augusts’ status in the UK is uncertain despite having grown up in the Midlands for many years and contributing to society.
As the play unfolds, there is a recurring flashing image which depicts August in some type of cell and it becomes apparent that August ends up in a detention centre as a result of arriving on his Mum’s passport and being unable to prove his residency in the UK.
This year marks the 75th Windrush anniversary and to this day the Windrush Scandal continues to impact many lives. Towards the end of the play, it was incredibly humbling and heart-breaking in equal measure to hear from those whose lives have been forever changed as a result of being asked to prove that they are entitled to live in the UK or to ‘go back to where you came from’.
To hear the anguished stories from elders whose lives mirrored that of August’s was incredibly profound.
August in England is Lenny Henry’s playwriting debut. It’s an intimate one-man show that takes you on a journey. Beautifully written, directed and portrayed. You do not want to miss this.
You can watch August in England at Bush theatre until 10 June.