We sat down for an exclusive interview with Tobi King Bakare, a member of the cast of SUPPLIANTS OF SYRIA. A multimedia performance that reimagines a 2,500-year-old Greek tragedy by incorporating filmed testimonies from Syrian refugees interacting with actors live on stage, whilst also including participatory debates on migration, talks, music, and dance from local asylum seekers at London’s Hoxton Hall.
This show runs from 3rd March – 8th March at Hoxton Hall – Tickets here.
Suppliants of Syria places you on stage not as a fictional character, but as yourself—an intermediary between the audience and the testimonies of Syrian women. How did that shift in responsibility affect your approach as a performer?
Personally, I find playing myself really challenging. It can feel very exposing. However, that discomfort works in service of the play’s subject matter. We’re not shying away from the difficult conversations this show will generate. In fact, we have them as ourselves on stage. The themes are uncomfortable, and sharing these stories from a place of vulnerability helps keep our intentions clear and focused.
The production reimagines Aeschylus’ Suppliants, one of the oldest surviving plays, through contemporary refugee testimonies. What struck you most about how this ancient text speaks to today’s global asylum debates?
I couldn’t believe how relevant the original text still feels. 463 BC is a very long time ago, yet the question the play raises remain the same. The relationship between humanity and war felt particularly fascinating to explore. We’ve been reflecting on the role of human nature or, more specifically, the nature of men and why we seem to keep making the same mistakes.
The show deliberately brings together live performers and projected testimonies, male and female voices, European and Syrian experiences. How did you navigate that tension on stage without speaking for the women whose stories anchor the work?
The work speaks for itself. Our role is to act as an amplifier for the women’s accounts rather than to speak for them. By bringing our own stories into the process, we hope to build common ground and generate empathy. The show has been designed with great care to ensure our involvement supports rather than overwrites the women’s voices.
Having previously appeared in For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, you are no stranger to theatre that invites social reckoning. What do you feel theatre can uniquely offer when addressing urgent, politicised issues like displacement and migration?
I believe theatre is about human connection. A space to see ourselves, find ourselves, purge ourselves, and heal ourselves.
All this play asks is that you see the perspective of someone going through something you’ve probably never experienced. Often, that’s what this kind of theatre invites. A space to hear unheard voices and to receive an authentic representation of what a person or community is going through.
Suppliants of Syria incorporates live debate alongside performance, echoing the Greek idea of theatre as democracy. How does that live exchange with audiences change the energy—or even the risk—of each performance?
The live exchange gives audiences a chance to be heard. Suppliants by Aeschylus is the first play to include the word “democracy,” so it feels fitting that dialogue sits at the heart of the experience. Even if we may not agree with all opinions raised, they still deserve to be heard. And appropriately debunked if need be…!
The energy of the show depends on the audience and that’s exciting! No night will be the same.
The project places strong emphasis on shared responsibility, from solidarity tickets to refugee-led collaboration. When audiences leave Hoxton Hall, what conversations do you most hope they continue beyond the theatre walls?
I’d love to hear conversations about how we can do more. Living in a big city can sometimes make you like a small fish in a massive pond, but I’m starting to realise how strong a position I actually have. Right now, it feels more urgent than ever to shift the narrative around migrants. I hope this show circulates in groups that are in need of a different perspective.