Floella Benjamin's Coming To England

COMING TO ENGLAND IS NOT JUST SOMETHING TO WATCH, IT IS SOMETHING TO ABSORB, SOMETHING TO DIGEST AND EVOLVE FROM

Whispers of memories tickle the happiness in my mind when I hear the name Floella Benjamin.  Memories of, Big Ted, Little Ted, Poppy and Jemima create doodles of half remembered images flashing through my subconscious, a time of innocence and purity.  This is what Floella Benjamin represents to so many of us, the epitome of good, an early authoritative figure who we could trust and look up to.  And though life’s unpredictable nature and the passing years changed many of us, diminishing or even extinguishing our childlike joy, Baroness Floella Benjamin still remains a beacon of positivity, and still fights for the welfare and education of children with a dignified grace, and always with a smile.  In short, Baroness Floella Benjamin is an outstanding and inspirational role model, not just to children, or her Playschool Babies, but to the world.  With a lavish career spanning West End Musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar, and television shows such as the Doctor Who spin off The Sarah Jane Adventures, it is perhaps still Play School for which Floella is most remembered.  And with an equally successful career as an author, I now find myself at the dramatized stage production of her 20^th book, a memoir of her early life, the award winning Coming To England.

Adapted by David Wood and directed by Denzel Westley-Sanderson, Coming To England introduces us to ten year old Floella, enjoying a carefree life in Trinidad.  Her family of eight, five siblings and mum and dad, are blissfully content, that is until her Dardie reads an advertisement offering a new life in England.  With mixed emotions, the decision is made and before we know it, the family are packed and ready to sail to England.  Well, not all the family.  The four eldest children, including Floella must temporarily stay in Trinidad until there is enough money to move everyone, a decision that sadly leaves them vulnerable to the bullying abuse of their foster families.  Eventually the day arrives when they can join the rest of their family in England, and as Floella and her siblings travel alone across the waters as part of the Windrush generation, they rejoice in the knowledge they will soon be reunited with their parents and younger siblings.  Excitement and the promise of a new and better life bubble away, keeping their spirits high, but they are sadly unaware and unprepared for the impending reality that awaits them.  
   

1960’s London – full of fashion and fascists.  The fairytale ending that a life in England promised, is just that – a fairytale.  Daily doses of racism, inexcusable ignorance, segregation, and mockery mark the start of life here.  Floella is refused entry to shops, told to “Go back to the jungle,” and belittled and berated by her teacher for reading Wordsworth with ‘the wrong accent’.  But Floella has a strong beacon of positivity guiding her through the unimaginable, her mother.  Encouraged to believe in her own worth and to rise above the noise, Floella moves forward by “fighting them with her brain,” refusing to let the negativity ever become louder than the positives.  As we see Floella having to work twice as hard as her classmates for the same outcome, her pride, determination, strength in adversity, and her refusal to accept society’s restraints, pay off.  Floella takes control of her own life, creating her own destiny, and making her dreams come true.  Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham is an example to us all.

With an opening designed to send nurturing nostalgic shivers through your being, a large television screen dominates the stage as we dutifully sit awaiting our show to begin.  ”A house with a door.  Windows, 1, 2, 3, 4.  Ready to play?  What’s the day?  It’s Wednesday!”  And then, there she is, a smile beaming with authentic joy, wrapping us in a collective hug, Floella Benjamin, performed by Julene Robinson (The Night Woman, Get Up!  Stand Up!, The Witcher).  Julene Robinson is outstanding, never impersonating, but instead capturing the spirit and the essence of truth that Floella projects, ensuring we all drawn to her.  Capturing the innocence of youth and wonder, the performance is never childish, but beautifully childlike, a distinct difference that Julene Robinson has embodied with class.  It is an irresistible performance.  Maryla Abraham as Marmie is nurturing, full of wisdom and enthralling, drawing us in with her exquisite storytelling skills.  A simple look from Marmie and you know what’s what.  And what a voice!  A true gospel soul that stole my heart.  Charles Angiama as Dardie brought the family together with warmth, authority and a cheeky twinkle of fun, ensuring we knew that this was a family founded in love.

Shaquille Jack as Ellington and Solomon Gordon as Lester performed the two eldest brothers with brotherly love, fun, and of course the essential sibling teasing.  They handled a difficult scene in which they were forced to fight each other with a tender resignation, a skilled performance of showing of us one thing but meaning entirely another.  Simone Robinson is Sandra, the eldest sister, and we see a strong bond blossom between herself and Floella.  Full of energy and guidance, we watch a believable performance of the strength and support needed of someone who was just a child herself.  Alexander Bellinfantie as Roy and Taya Ming as Cynthia are the youngest siblings and have endless energy throughout, running around the stage, causing a loving chaos and getting up to mischief.  The differing ages between these siblings are clear to see, and though adults performing as children can often be cringe worthy and over played, this was not the case tonight.  It was pitched in the perfect sweet spot.

With songs taking us from carnival to soul music, gospel to theatrical, the rhythms were catchy, the steel drum beats infectious, and the mixture of old and new a delight.  You will bop along to the likes of Jump In The Line (perhaps better known to many as the song from Beetlejuice) and marvel at new songs such as the titular Coming To England.  We are whisked through the sun drenched island of Trinidad, to the grey and dismal realms of London via clever lighting, minimal set changes, and the believability of the actors on stage.  Whilst the first half focuses on portraying the relaxed and carefree life Floella lived in Trinidad, the second half picks up with quite a different story when she arrives in England.  It makes for uncomfortable scenes, with the hope for a better tomorrow coming from the young audience itself, who visibly and audibly rejected the racism on display.  The only point of critique I heard from audience, was the desire to not just recognise and applaud Floella for what she has achieved, but to learn and understand how she achieved it so that her baton may be picked up and continued.  
   

Coming To England is not just something to watch, it is something to absorb, something to digest and evolve from.  It is a beautiful tale of an ugly world, one in which unperturbed grace and dignity hold strong and blossom into a guiding light.  Floella Benjamin is that light.  Her determination is exemplary, her message is clear.  Inclusivity for all.  Education for all.  Show empathy and respect.  Never be judgemental, and advocate for the wellbeing of children, especially the vulnerable.  She is a champion of diversity and an unstoppable force of brilliance.  Coming To England doesn’t shy away from uncomfortable truths and doesn’t dilute the hate language Floella and the Windrush Generation faced.  In doing so, it doesn’t patronise its younger audience and resonates with its older one.  And through all the challenges, the hate and heartache, Coming To England remains a momentous and majestic marvel, an energetic and eloquent tale of determination and dedication to owning your own destiny.  This was an uplifting and motivating play, a celebration of authenticity and triumph.  I encourage everyone to come along, celebrate formidable women, and be a part of the changes we still need. 

WE SCORE FLOELLA BENJAMIN'S COMING TO ENGLAND...