We Need New Names by Mufaro Makubika - ★★★★☆
“If it is your country, you have to love it”
Germany, China, Britain and America. 4 friends play the country game, imagining a world where everything is beautiful. In the country game, there are winners and losers. Some stay in paradise, whilst others have the opportunity to break free.
We Need New Names is a stage adaptation by Mufaro Makubika based on the book by NoViolet Bulawayo. It explores the story of Darling, a young girl living in a fictional shanty town called Paradise Darling, along with her friends Chipo, Bastard and GodKnows make the most of their childhood by stealing guavas, pretending to be celebrities and posing for the NGO camera for new clothes and toys.
Darling has an aunt who lives in Michigan, and hopes to join her in the land of the free where she can eat all the pizza she longs for, the president isn't as old as her grandfather, and she has the opportunity to be friends with Rihanna. This dream becomes a reality and when in America, Darling has to adjust to a new life and make new friends whilst preserving the memory of home.
We Need New Names is a powerful exploration of the migrant tale through the lens of a child. It’s a note-worthy coming of age story that touches on politics, racism and mental health in a sincere and authentic way.
Lukwesa Mwamba who plays Darling is well supported by the rest of the cast, including Munashe Chirisa, Princess Humalo and Kalungi Ssebandeke who all enthusiastically and seamlessly bounce between different characters. With Monique Touko’s direction, the cast shine and make great use of the space available, moving rhythmically to the sound of music and the transitions of light.
We Need New Names is a story that speaks to the heart of the audience. For some it tells a personal story on the cost of leaving a place in which you are seen and heard to pursue greener pastures. For others, it creates a space in which they can understand the challenges of those who have been displaced and the discomfort the change brings to them.
In his adaptation, Makubika simultaneously centres the original themes of NoViolets book and brings a fresh perspective to this story. Analysing the transition of who we are and who we must become due to factors beyond our control, We Need New Names is fun and heartbreaking in equal measure, capturing the audience's attention from start to finish.
Running till 6 May at Brixton House before touring to Oxford, Derby, Manchester, Newcastle, Peterborough, Bristol, Sheffield and finishing in Nottingham.
