The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2021 - Issue 29

bitetheatre Precious Little Thing T he last offering on 21 May was Precious Little Thing , written by Roberta Livingston and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour, and is my favourite of all three (thus far). I’m un- sure whether I’m biased because it’s an all-female cast, or that it’s vivid to the imaginative eye, or because the clever comedy is used to discuss a heartfelt situation and such an unlikely occurrence that has it so listening wor- thy. The synopsis to this script reads, ‘A humorous and heartfelt comedy that explores womanhood, class and how being let down by the system leads to heart-breaking choices. Willow and Nicole’s journey collide in the dead of night when they unexpectedly meet in the garden of a London mansion. Both desiring something from inside no. 92, they join forces to break in. But once they do and get caught by the nanny Bian, it’s soon revealed that they hav- en’t been completely honest with each other.’ This synopsis fully gives you a snap- shot of the multi-scene drama; how- ever, it doesn’t tell you how engaging, funny, and heart-warming this script is. Clever writing has us immediately engaged from the outset where sound effects, again designed and produced by Steve Bond, assisted by Makashe Ogbon, help transport us to the scenes as though they were films being played in our minds. The comedy comes in quite quickly as Jocelyn Jee Esien, who plays Nicole, with her quick-whip tongue lashes to the less seasoned thief, Willow, played by Jacoba Wil- liams, have us giggle a minute. My favourite line is “anyone could be watching” when they refer to the lack of curtains in the nursery of the home they are about to rob. What does come as a surprise is when the introduction of the nanny character, Bian, played by Tuyen Do, enters the play. The dy- namic that ensues between the three of them becomes highly entertaining; however, real intentions are then re- vealed, ensuring the audience’s heart- strings are pulled. Again, I listened to this play twice and will do it again, as it is funny and enter- taining. Just like films, books or audio- books, every time you watch, read or listen, you capture more than you did the last time. To listen to Precious Little Thing, click on this link and sign in to your BBC ac- count. www.talawa.com/articles/talawa-sto- ries-precious-little-thing T alawa Theatre, the UK’s outstanding Black British Theatre company founded in 1986, has the central vi- sion of supporting the reimagined and/or adaptations of classic plays, honing talent and developing new plays about and by the Black British communities and the Afri- can-Caribbean Diaspora in the UK. Talking about managing the theatre online and live stream- ing during this pandemic, Artistic Director and Joint CEO Michael Buffong said, “We’ve learned a lot through the pan- demic. We know that there are stories that can be told in many different ways, so we will experiment with live stream- ing and digital capture through this season, so that Black work by vital, passionate and intelligent storytellers can be experienced by everyone, everywhere and on-demand.” I, for one, am thrilled that these three plays are available to be listened to again and again until next year, as I intend to do just that. To read more about the season or Talawa Theatre Compa- ny, click on the link below. www.talawa.com/articles/talawa-stories Talawa Theatre Anastasia Osei-Kuffour Jacoba Williams Tuyen Do Jocelyn Jee Esien Roberta Livingston