Preview: Mixed Feelings

I decided to write Mixed Feelings for two reasons. I was in the playwriting group at Tamasha Theatre, and was told that after writing my first play Anna Iss Mee Hanan I should straight away start working on my second play, so to not get overly comfortable after having achieved the initial feel in writing.  The inspiration came from thinking about what the role of a parent is/was.

After some thought, I reckoned that the role of a parent is to guide a child through life, because they’ve lived that life before. But what happens when the child’s experience is completely different from that of the parents, which they could never understand, and does that parent even have  a right to express an opinion on that experience? For me this brought up the dilemma of Mixed Feelings. Is it easier to talk about race within family or harder? And is there more of an incentive to heal the wounds that may occur?

My writing process is different in on every project. I usually let the content of the subject inform the style in which the work is realised. I’m a big believer in play and experimentation to ignite something within, and I remember writing a lot of this whilst on holiday in Thailand. There’s nothing like a bit of sun and sea to get the imagination going!

The benefit of directing your own work is also potentially the challenge, as whilst being able to direct it the way you want it to be, you don’t get the external eye and the different perspective on the work which occurs when someone else directs your writing. I’ve had to rely on the cast to provide that perspective.

The play explores family dynamics, divorce, race, LGBT issues, Britishness, and generational differences. I’m sure there will be many more that the audience will pick out!

Yemi (Eboni Dixon) is an outspoken, conscientious and headstrong teenager, unafraid to speak her mind to her parents and strangers alike. Obuto (Leon Day) is a soft-natured young man, waiting for his moment to burst out and be seen. Their mother Helen (Victoria Claringbold) is a high-achieving, socially modern woman, but maybe not as modern as she likes to think she is. Her husband Baba (Daniel Abeshin) is a sensitive man with a strong belief in family and humour,  but is still trying to find his place in British life. Friend Nigel (Tony Mecalfe) is a diplomatic, educated and likeable adult nerd.

Family, family, family!