tiata fahodzi, the UK’s leading British African heritage contemporary touring theatre company, presents the London Premiere of cheeky little brown by Papatango Prize-winning playwright Nkenna Akunna – coming to Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 April 2024.
Part musical, part drama, cheeky little brown is a profound, surreal and comic exploration of friendship, queer love, and heartbreak studded with snappy comedic intrigue and glittering prose. A solo show starring Tiajna Amayo as Lady – a determined, sharp-tongued charmer who loves her best friend Gemma and a good night out – cheeky little brown explores a coming-of-age story that examines a friendship between two Black women on diverging paths of self-love and acceptance.
How would you describe cheeky little brown?
It’s a coming of age story with a complicated friendship breakup at its centre. It’s also a love letter to a home [city] that doesn’t really exist anymore.
cheeky little brown toured in Autumn, how does it feel to now bring the show to London for the first time?
It’s coming home! It feels good, and I love that it’s coming to Stratford. The area gets a mention when the protagonist Lady remembers going to a Choice FM Junior Jam there. Clearly it’s meant to be.
The show features original songs, what can you tell us about the songs and the musicality of the show?
They’re very inspired by early/mid 2000s indie sleaze. I can’t say I know all the songs but I loved Kate Nash growing up. Foundations and Merry Happy are still two of my favourite songs. There’s also a garage-inspired tune in there. I’d say musically, it’s a bit rude, audacious, tongue-in-cheek, and reminiscent of childhood watching Skins.
How has it felt to explore a relationship on stage between two women on such emotionally diverging paths?
Extremely rich and fulfilling. Hard in the best way. It’s normal that people change, though when watching the show, it’s easy to paint one or the other as the villain. I think they both have a lot of feelings, and neither really has the tools to manage them all just yet.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the show?
We’re all one trauma away from another coming of age. Ha. No but seriously, humans are messy and heartbreak is hard but laughing really helps.
What does tiata fahodzi’s work and history mean to you as a creative?
It means a lot to be working with a theatre company whose mission is to champion Black British storytelling. Many artists who’ve come through tf paved the way for my own existence in UK theatre right now. That my debut was brought to the stage by tiata fahodzi is something I’ll always hold dear.