THE RENDITION MEETS TIFE KUSORO
Image Credit - Luke Bryant
Urban legends are a cornerstone of our communities, whether they're passed down through generations or depicted in movies. They have the power to shape our beliefs, influence our thoughts, and affect our daily interactions.
Tife Kusoro, an alumna of the Royal Court Introduction to Playwriting Group and the 2023 George Devine Award winner, explores urban legends and the experiences of Black boys in her new play, "G." The play follows three friends as they navigate life with the looming presence of 'Baitface.'
In this conversation with Tife, we discuss what it means for her play to be showcased at the Royal Court, the inspiration behind "G," the significance of urban legends in our communities, and the importance of Black stories.
“It was during the pandemic and I was home a lot with my brother and we were having a lot of conversations about the way the world sees him as a Black boy or the way the world doesn’t see him.”
QUESTION: You took part in the Royal Court Introduction to Playwriting in 2023, as an alumni of the Royal Court how does it feel to bring your play here?
Tife: It feels really good, I did the introduction to playwriting in 2019 and the end of that was Spring 2020 and that’s when I started putting pen to paper. So it feels really nice to have it on. Having a play on stage for four weeks, though it’s not the first play I've written, it feels different. I feel like I’ve found something new in the play, something that feels different to what I’ve written before.
QUESTION: Can you describe ‘G’ to our audience in your own words?
Tife: I would describe G as an Afro surrealist play about 3 Black boys who are navigating a world in which there is a threat of a spirit that steals the faces and identities of black boys. That’s what it’s about, without trying to spoil it. It’s a bit mysterious and eerie.
I think kind of like that, I like that people are unsure of what it is and what it will be.
QUESTION: Where did the inspiration for ‘Baitface’ come from? Growing up, did you hear any urban legends?
Tife: I was definitely inspired by the urban legends I heard in my school days; stuff like bloody mary, and the characters in horror stories like the bogeyman. There’s something about how eerie they feel, especially when you are young and if you believe in the supernatural, or are interested in those ideas - how much power they can carry.
Even growing up in Nigeria, the spirituality, hearing about the masquerades that you can’t look in the eye. I was interested in the otherworldly and how that could influence our lives and how it can also (in storytelling) represent something.
The urban legend of Baitface, adds stakes to their lives and to the play which sort of make it a bit more mysterious and interesting. Baitface in the play is a way to explore how the characters are seen; how the world sees them or how it does not see them.
QUESTION: What role do you think urban legends play in communities, particularly the community we see in G?
Tife: I feel like spirituality is such a big part of Black culture and community and also a really big part of storytelling. I love the way it uses something bigger to illustrate or to point out ideas and emotions or situations that are quite everyday.
In the play in particular, the urban legend is the thing that makes the characters more careful in the world they are in. It adds stakes to their lives, it really changes the way they see themselves and the way they move through the world.
I think sometimes, urban legends are ways to teach you a lesson, to make you question something or realise something. I’m really interested in the way these (legends) are passed down and are reproduced, but also what it might mean to create new stories, and to almost mythicise and elevate ourselves to the position of sacred in storytelling.
Image Credit - Isah Shah
“I just think stories are great and it’s important to create and indulge in new stories.”
QUESTION: “My work currently explores Black womanhood, community, and coming of age.” How does 'G' differ from your previous writings, and what inspired you to create this piece?
Tife: I feel like it’s quite different, it feels a lot more experimental and theatrical compared to other plays I’ve written. The context, themes, and characters feel like something that is outside of myself - like I’m almost observing which feels very different.
With things that I’ve written before, they’ve been almost like extensions of who I am or like characters that I feel like I could play, but with G it feels like something I am exploring. More and more, I am leaning into fantasy and magical realism and it feels really fun to tell stories in that way.
At the time that I started writing I was thinking about black boyhood. It was during the pandemic and I was home a lot with my brother and we were having a lot of conversations about the way the world sees him as a Black boy or the way the world doesn't see him. The characters started coming to me from there as it was now at the forefront of my mind.
QUESTION: Based on the show description, there’s part of the play that seems to be quite dark and ominous. What are the key themes explored in G and how do we see them play out?
Tife: I would say the key themes are Urban legend, black boyhood, coming of age, friendship, myth, what it means to see or be seen as a person.
With black boyhood, because the urban legend and curse is directed specifically at Black boys, it affects how they have to move through the world.
Their friendship is a key component of the play and how they survive in this world that is a bit dark and a bit mysterious - their friendship feels like the grounding force. It also feels like something that they have to question and see in a new way because of this mysterious curse.
QUESTION: In your interview with Susan Wokoma, you mentioned that: “the things I'd written always seemed to be from my direct experience. It felt like they were, from my direct voice, but with G, it felt like I was trying to go away from that a little bit or just try and start to”
Which character did you enjoy writing about the most or connect with the most? Tell me about them.
Tife: I love them all equally. I love them all for different reasons and I enjoyed writing them all for different reasons. All of the characters feel very different and I try to see them honestly. They all have light and dark in them and I enjoy them because the light parts of them (humour, playfulness), makes you lean in and made me lean in to them.
Their darknesses and conflicts are things that I’ve grown to understand in them even as I’ve written them and I hope the audience will see that they’re not just one thing. I hope that they feel honest and I hope that they feel like actual people.
That’s what I enjoyed, making them feel true.
QUESTION: The title of this play is unique and captivating. A single letter title, why did you choose to express the play in this way?
Tife: I think I like a bit of mystery.
I called it G because I wanted it to feel open and to give it the opportunity to mean different things to whoever sees it. To me, I love G because ‘G’ is what people call each other and it’s what the characters in the play call each other and I love the way that it feels.
Putting it on a play as just that one letter, it feels everyday - but also there's something it carries that it can feel so divine or big and supernatural almost.
I love that it can be both of those things, but mostly I just love the mystery of people asking “what’s that?!”
QUESTION: Why do you think it's important that we see shows like G on stage? (and at venues like the Royal Court)
Tife: I think it’s just important to always see black characters and black stories on stage. It’s important to see yourself in the characters and to see yourself on stage. That's what inspired me to write and to want to be in theatre. It’s those rare moments where I saw myself on stage and thought of a community.
That’s why it's important to stage Black work and diverse work and to bring new audiences to the theatre to make it feel like its for everyone and not just a certain kind of audience.
This theatre doesn't belong to some people, it belongs to everyone.
There is something inherently powerful about writing that challenges the status quo—writing that pushes the boundaries of reality and brings fresh narratives to light. Our conversation with Tife underscored the importance of writers fully embracing their imagination and stepping beyond their comfort zones. It is in this creative space that stories transcend personal expression and become a reflection of those around you.
G is showing at Royal Court Theatre from 22nd August — 21st September.
