THE RENDITION MEETS PAAPA ESSIEDU & ROY WILLIAMS
Image Credit - Seamus Ryan
What began as a 10-minute film in 2014 has grown into a trilogy that mirrors the state of the nation. Death of England: The Plays delves into the lives of four individuals, two families, and grapples with one fundamental question: What does it mean to be British?
When Clint Dyer and Roy Williams teamed up to write these plays, they drew from their own experiences to create a reality that is vividly captured in this trilogy. Exploring themes such as identity, race, class, and police brutality, Death of England powerfully highlights the pressing issues facing the nation.
Following an outstanding opening night, we had the chance to speak with Paapa Essiedu and Roy Williams about the play's title, its significance, and the unique challenges and rewards of performing solo on stage.
“It’s not as final as it sounds. It’s kind of suggesting, there could be a possibility for a new England, that’s what all the characters are interrogating,”
QUESTION: The phrase “Death of England” is an emotive statement, and means different things to different people. What does the phrase, Death of England mean to you/delroy?
Paapa: I think Death of England means the death of an idea of England, an idea of England that doesn't fit into the world we live in 2024. There are certain versions of England that are very structured and very inflexible whereas our idea of England must change and must develop and must become more flexible, more inclusive and more all encompassing. So when I think about DoE, I’m thinking about the death of an old England, but also inviting the birth of a new England.
Roy: Death of England is a metaphor for a lot of things. The father, Alan, comes from a certain England with a set of views; he dies and the question is ‘What is the new England going to be like’. It’s not as final as it sounds.
It’s kind of suggesting, there could be a possibility for a new England. That’s what all the characters are interrogating, Michael in particular. He is questioning what he believes in, how he views himself as english? It’s a debate, it’s an interrogation.
QUESTION: Death of England is a very powerful play, each party provided the opportunity to share their perspective. Talk to me about Delroy’s perspective and the learnings you take from this character if there are any?
Paapa: It’s funny, Delroy is a complicated man, there’s many decisions, many things that he ends up doing that I personally don’t agree with. However, as an artist, as a performer - it’s our responsibility to not judge our characters but to lean in to their truth, what they go through.
What he is grappling with is the conflict between blackness and britishness. He’s got a three lions tattoo on his left arm, he voted Brexit, he voted Tory - but in the same breath he’s a black man. So what happens when his blackness comes into contact with the less savoury parts of British life?
It’s a very knotty, difficult and unresolved position to find himself in; but ultimately he is an incredibly human, loving, intelligent, limitless individual and that’s what makes him such a joy to explore and really dig into.
Image Credit - Piers Allardyce
“ As a performer - it’s our responsibility to not judge our characters but to lean in to their truth, what they go through. What he is grappling with is the conflict between blackness and britishness”
QUESTION: How did you come up with the name ‘Death of England’?
Roy: I remember when I started writing it, it began as a short film, a ten-minute film. It was 2014, England had just done really badly in the last world cup and for me that’s when the word ‘Brexit’ really started taking toll, it became a cultural thing - a discussion and it felt like a funeral. Everything seemed so bleak and down and it was hard to see any positiveness out of it. It felt like the death of something - Death of England
QUESTION: You have been on stage consecutively for the past 3 years, however this is the first 1 man play you have performed in a while. What impact do you think the stage presents when it comes to storytelling and how does it feel to perform alone?
Paapa: Being on stage by yourself is mad. It’s honestly mad. Every single show including tonight there are moments where I’m like ‘I don’t know where I am’ or ‘I don’t know what I’m saying’ and usually, you would have someone who can root you in the thing.
So it’s both very lonely but also very empowering because you’ve got to figure out a way to survive. You are working out your own rules. I did it because I wanted to know what that challenge was like, and I wanted to know what I would be like if I was put in that position.
In terms of the impact the stage can have artistically - it’s enormous because it’s happening right there in front of you. I still remember the first time I went to a play. I didn’t go to play for the first time till quite late in my life, I was 18, 19 and I thought wow. That’s the actual actor right there, he's going through the feelings there, he’s saying the lines there - he’s crying, laughing.
There is something so inspiring about being in the presence and being in the room with that, and that can lead you to think in a different way, change things in your life etc, I think it’s incredibly powerful.
That’s why I think for me, it’s so important that we continue to make theatre more accessible to as many different audiences as possible because it is so powerful and it has the impact to change peoples lives, and that's why I do it.
As noted in our review, Death of England has earned its rightful place in the West End.
Paapa Essiedu delivers an electrifying and captivating performance as Delroy, bringing the character to life magnificently. The beauty of Death of England: Delroy lies in its ability to blend humour with hard-hitting truths, making it an impactful and essential watch for all audiences.
Death of England: The Plays is showing at @sohoplace Theatre until 28th September.
