Two brothers reunite to honour their sibling’s life at a celebration of remembrance. As they begin to explore letting go, they are forced to confront their shared past and long-standing estrangement.  

Following the sell-out run of SAMSKARA (The Yard), this brand-new work by Lanre Malaolu explores the challenge of forgiving yourself for a lifetime of suppressed emotion, while celebrating the profound bond of brotherhood and the resilience that can be found in joy.  

A powerful fusion of movement, song, and text, Now, I See is an exploration of identity, forgiveness and nature’s visceral power to heal.  

Now, I See is the second instalment in Lanre’s trilogy that excavates and celebrates the truth of being a Black man in contemporary Britain. Tendai Humphrey Sitima stars in Now, I See coming to Stratford East on the 10th May. Check it out here!

1. How did you get involved with Now, I See?

I got a very excited email from my agent. She loved Lanre’s previous Samskara and insisted that I read the script. I read the script and fell in love, knowing that the piece would challenge and push me into an exciting and terrifying new world as an artist. I auditioned and promised Lanre that with his trust, patience and guidance, I would happily leap out of my comfort zone to tell this story. 

2. What’s the show about?

Fundamentally, the show is about love, healing and connection. Three brothers separated by time, pain, misunderstanding are bought together in grief to try and repair, see each other, see themselves forgive and live in love. 

3. Who do you play?

I play Adeyeye one of the brothers whose passing acts as the catalyst for the brothers seeking each other again. 

4. What drew you to work on this production?

The script.

5. How have you been preparing for the role?

Adeyeye straddles worlds, a lot of his language is movement. I’ve been spending a lot of time moving, listening to my body and trying to allow everyday feeling and impulses to sit in my body, so I can really start to understand and feel what it is to speak through the body. 

6. You’ve had a really varied career, did you set out to do that or did it just play out that way? Do the different experiences compliment each other in your work?

I didn’t I just worked very hard on the things I loved doing and eventually they started to look like a career. They do complement each other composing music, improvising acting all feel like different extensions of the same thing. Reacting, making offers and playing. Working well with others. It’s all colouring, just using different paints! 

7. If you had a piece of advice for your younger self, what would it be?

Work hard, trust yourself do not judge yourself. You belong, prove it.