This incredible production weaves through the streets of London’s South East with joy, humour, love and N.W.A alongside tragedy at its heart

Conceived and written to commemorate 30 years since the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, the 18 year old South East Londoner who himself dreamt of a future in architecture, The Architect and The Architect’s Dream – two adjoined yet separate productions from The Actor’s Touring Company and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival – takes us on a curated journey from Deptford to Woolwich tracing as it goes the various quotidian lives and loves and dramas and conversations of a regular Black family. We are shepherded on this journey by The Conductor (a magnetic Llewella Gideon – by turns hilarious and sombre) who carries us along on a wave of cheers, Janet Kay singalongs and mint imperials into which are dropped vignettes, slices of life, two people falling in love, a heavily pregnant mother to be and her niece, friends swapping dance moves, an architect building his dream.

All while on a bus. Matthew Xia’s excellent production allows for the cramped, the awkward, the long waits, the aimless staring out of a window, all which go along with this form of public transport. Waiting is introduced early on in this journey, patience highlighted as a virtue to the modern Londoner who may not remember the early 90s and lack of anything other than the Big Red Bus in London’s South East. And this really is a South East production, weaving through Lewisham, the middle of the last century, Kidbrooke, the early 90’s, Woolwich, the present and a possible future. We are asked to consider all that stolen potential, what could have happened if things were different. The incredible creative team of Roy Williams, Mojisola Adebayo, Bola Agbaje, XANA, Dexter Flanders and Vanessa Macauley tell a story of hope, of love, of determination, pain, kindness and laughter all while living while Black in a society that often views you with hostility. 

This is all carried along by a fantastic cast, who deal with the very specific challenge of performing on a moving vehicle with ease. Karl Collins’ Architect is the grown-up high flying version of Dalumuzi Moyo’s Boy 1 who we see swapping stories, song lyrics and suave dance moves with Boy 2 – a shining performance by Omar Austin. A special mention must be made to Doreene Blackstock playing A Mother whose perfect balance of love, frustration, pride and fear for her son is a joy to behold. This is not a production which shies away of the realities of what it is to exist marginalised and demonised, nor does it ask us to forget or rewrite history.

Albeit there were some problems, being on a bus the sound of the acceleration sometimes drowned out the clarity of the lines, the unseasonable warmth made for less comfortable viewing nothing detracted so far from the quality of the performance and it’s aims to warrant anything more than a cursory mention. The strength of the performance allowed for some drawbacks, this is theatre on a double decker bus after all.

We arrive, stepping out bleary, warm, stretching into the dusk and steel pan music of General Gordan Square, we are given one final gift – The Architect’s Dream. Collins’ passionate, inspirational outlining of what the future could look like, egalitarian, free from division, connected and community orientated acts as a rallying cry for all that believe a better future is possible, even despite the past. As an image of Stephen Lawrence descends and the final moments arrive to this extraordinary production, there is loss, the theft of such potential and hope. You leave knowing you have witnessed something exceptional.

THE ARCHITECT – Ticketed. Board the bus in Deptford

Alight at: General Gordon Square, Woolwich SE18 6FH

Ticket Price: From £12

Booking Link: HERE

Duration: 55 mins 

DATES AND TIMES: Wed 6 – Fri 8 Sep: 6.30pm and 8.30pm
Sat 9 & Sun 10 Sep: 2.30pm, 6.30pm and 8.30pm

THE ARCHITECT’S DREAM – FREE, Outdoor, General Gordon Square, Woolwich

Backed by Steel-Pan music, this free, powerful performance, provides a stand-alone culmination to THE ARCHITECT right in the heart of Woolwich.  

DATES AND TIMES Wed 6 – Fri 8 Sep: 7.20pm and 9.20pm
Sat 9 & Sun 10 Sep: 3.20pm, 7.20pm and 9.20pm