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Home , A Good Man in Africa, Battersea Arts Centre, Casualty (series 5), Catherine Tate, Hackney Empire, Hampstead Theatre

Next Wave 2019

Brooklyn Academy of Music

Adam E. Max, BAM Board Chair Katy Clark, President

William . Campbell and Nora Ann Wallace, David Binder, Artistic Director BAM Board Vice Chairs Barber Shop Chronicles A Fuel/National / Playhouse Production Written by Directed by Bijan Sheibani

BAM Theater Dec 3—6 at 7:30pm; Dec 7 at 2pm & 7:30pm; Dec 8 at 3pm

Running time: approx. hour & 45 mins, no intermission

Design by Rae Smith Lighting design by Jack Knowles Movement direction by Aline David Sound design by Gareth Fry Casting direction by Louis Hammond CDG Music director Michael Henry

Presented with support from the and Arts Council

Season Sponsor:

Leadership support for BAM Access Programs provided by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation

Leadership support for theater at BAM provided by The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; The SHS Foundation; and The Shubert Foundation, Inc.

Support for theater at BAM provided by The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation

Additional support provided by President’s Circle members William D. & Susan Kahan Rifkin Barber Shop Chronicles

MICAH BALFOUR OKORIE CHUKWU ADÉ DEE HAASTRUP

EMMANUEL IGHODARO DEMMY LADIPO MOHAMMED MANSARAY TOM MOUTCHI

ANTHONY OFOEGBU ELMI RASHID ELMI ERIC SHANGO DAVID WEBBER

ONE DAY. SIX CITIES. A THOUSAND STORIES.

Over the course of a day on which Chelsea plays Barcelona in the finals of a soccer championship, we visit six cities, across five different countries in Africa—Johannesburg in South Africa, Kampala in Uganda, in , Harare in Zimbabwe, Accra in Ghana, and in the UK. The compilation of snapshot scenes reveals the connection between the various places and spaces, through conversations between Barbers and their clientele. The relationship between African’s living on the continent and those living in the UK, is explored through the discovery that all the characters are connected in some way, be it through family, place, history or a common joke.

At the center of the plot is the story of Samuel and Emmanuel at Three Kings Barber’s in London, where the day represents the three-year anniversary of Samuel’s father’s imprisonment. Samuel blames Emmanuel for what has happened to his father, although we discover the truth of the situation may not be as it seems. Alongside this narrative, the play explores contemporary black masculinity across six countries, education, sexuality, marriage, religion, and the relationships between black men.

Barber Shop Chronicles is a story with a big heart and of laughter, offering an insight into the sacred spaces of African Barber shops.

Photos: Courtesy the Barber Shop Chronicles

CAST Winston / Shoni Micah Balfour Elnathan / Benjamin / Dwain Okorie Chukwu Musa / Andile / Mensah Maynard Eziashi Wole / Kwabena / Simon Adé Dee Haastrup Tokunbo / Paul / Simphiwe Emmanuel Ighodaro Wallace / Timothy / Mohammed / Tinashe Demmy Ladipo Samuel Mohammed Mansaray Olawale / Kwame / Fabrice / Brian Tom Moutchi Emmanuel Anthony Ofoegbu Ethan Elmi Rashid Elmi Tanaka / FiifiEric Shango Abram / Ohene / Sizwe David Webber

ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION CREDITS Associate directors Lekan Lawal & Stella Odunlami Design associate Catherine Morgan Costume supervisor Lydia Crimp WHAM supervisor Andrew Whiteoak Fight director Kev McCurdy Barber consultant Peter Atakpo Company voice work Charmian Hoare Dialect coach Hazel Holder Scenic shop Adirondack Studios

CREW Production manager Mekel Edwards Deputy stage manager Emma Rangel Assistant stage manager Stefania Procter Lighting associate and Production electrician Rachel Bowen Sound associate Laura Hammond Touring wardrobe supervisor Francesca Duvall Technical swing Anthony Hannah

American stage manager Caroline Englander The Actors are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association. The American Stage Manager is a member of Actors’ Equity Association.

Co-commissioned by Fuel and the National Theatre

Development funded by with the support of Fuel, National Theatre Studio, Leeds Playhouse, The Binks Trust, British Council ZA, Òran Mór and A Play, a Pie and a Pint FROM THE WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF Who’s Who

CAST Calabar, The Contract, Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang), When Brendan Met Trudy, Ace Ventura: When MICAH BALFOUR (Winston/Shoni) trained Nature Calls, A Man in Africa, Bopha!, at the Poor School. His recent theater work and Twenty-One. Television credits include: Hotel ROSE BYRNE BOBBY CANNAVALE includes: Plenty (); Still Alice (Leeds Babylon, The Changeling, and . Playhouse and UK tour); Mr. Foote’s Other Leg ( & ); The ADÉ DEE HAASTRUP (Wole/Kwabena/Simon) Royal Hunt of the Sun, Market Boy (National trained at the East 15 Acting School. His recent Theatre); and Absolute Beginners (Lyric theater credits include Blue/Orange, 13, The ). His recent TV roles include Winter’s Tale, , The Cherry of Christine Keeler, The Feed, Orchard, The Notebook of Trigorn, Good, Aalst (series regular), Silent Witness, Dr. Who, The (East 15 Acting School); Cagebirds (Alra), Musketeers, City, Doctors, Young Dracula, Wealth (Cable Street Studios). He is known The Time of Your Life, , and Trust. for his roles in the film Darkest Hour (2017), Films include The Children Act, The Car: Road the award-winning BBC drama Silent Witness to Revenge, Holy Flying Circus, Diana, Powder (2017), as well as (2016—18). His Room, and World War Z. recent film credits include Stump (2017) and Women’s Equality Party (2016). OKORIE CHUKWU (Elnathan/Benjamin/ Dwayne) trained at Mountview and Identity EMMANUEL IGHODARO (Tokunbo/Paul/ School of Acting. His recent theater credits Simphiwe) trained at The Theatre include: (); Once in a School. He has most recently appeared in Lifetime (The ); Imogen (Shakespeare’s David Williams’ The Queen and I (). Globe); Running Wild, (Regent’s Park); Prior to that he appeared as Lor-Zod in DC Wit (Royal Exchange Theatre); The Hairy Ape Comics/SYFY production Krypton and in Karl (Old Vic Theatre); Around the World in 80 Days Pilkington’s Sick of It (Sky One). He is best (Royal Exchange Manchester); Never Try This at known for his regular role in popular TV show Home (Birmingham Rep//Tour); Tanzi Libre Shameless as Jackson Powell (). Other ( Playhouse); Around the World in television credits include: DCI Banks, Coronation 80 Days (New Vic Theatre); Feathers (Etcetera Street, Rosemary and Thyme, The Bill (ITV); Theatre). On screen, he has appeared in My Mad Occupation, One Child, , New Fat Diary (E4), (BBC), Hard Sun (BBC), Tricks, Shakespeare Retold, Torchwood, and feature films Level ; A Moving Image; Eastenders, Doctors, , Waking the Zombie Diaries 2. Dead, Life Isn’t All Ha Ha He He, Baby Father (BBC). Theater Credits include: , WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MAYNARD EZIASHI’s (Musa/Andile/Mensah) Macbett, God in Ruins (Royal Shakespeare theater credits include: The Strange Death of Company), Blue Orange (The ),

SIMON STONE Photo: Caitlin Cronenberg John Doe (); The Dead Wait The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui (Lyric Theatre), (); Wedlock of the Gods (Cochrane Who Killed Mr. Drum (), Theatre); Faith v. Reason (); The (New Vic), Robin Hood Winter’s Tale, Pericles (Royal Shakespeare (Nuffield Theatre), After the Accident (Theatre SIX WEEKS ONLY! JAN 12—FEB 23 TICKETS ON SALE NOW Company); Guess Who’s Coming for Dinner (St West), Company of Angels (). Film PRODUCED BY BAM, INTERNATIONAAL THEATER AMSTERDAM, AND Andrew’s Lane, ); A Jamaican Airman credits include: Sahara (Paramount Pictures), Foresees His Death (Royal Court); and A Habit (Not a Number Productions; won best Respectable Wedding (). Film feature at New York Horror Film Festival), The BAM.org/Medea 718.636.4100 SEASON SPONSOR: LEADERSHIP SUPPORT LEADERSHIP FOR BAM ACCESS SUPPORT FOR credits include: Mister Johnson (winner of the Walk (Long Day Films), The Revelation PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY THEATER AT BAM Silver Bear Award for Best Actor at the 41st (GreyRock Picture), Unseen (Artwork Media). THE JEROME L. GREENE PROVIDED BY THE International Film Festival); The Streets of FOUNDATION SHS FOUNDATION Proud Partner of AND THE SHUBERT BAM FOUNDATION, INC. Who’s Who

DEMMY LADIPO (Wallace / Timothy / ELMI RASHID ELMI (Ethan) trained at both the Mohammed / Tinashe) trained with the ALT actor London College of Music and the Identity School training program. Film credits include: The Last of Acting. While in training he performed in: Tree. Television credits include: Enterprice. Romeo & Juliet, Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads, Measure for Measure, Richard III, The Country MOHAMMED MANSARAY’s (Samuel) theater Wife, , and Birdland. His other credits include: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s theater credits include: Wild Men (Tin Forest Nest (Sheffield Crucible); Mrs. Dalloway, Jekyll Festival), The Grandfathers (National Theatre), & Hyde and Othello ( Rep and Basset (Bristol Old Vic). West End Season); Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), and Daddy Cool (/ ERIC SHANGO (Tanaka/Fiifi) recently graduated world tour). Television credits include: Tracy from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. His Beaker Returns, Law & Order: UK, and The Bill. theater credits while in training include: Chicken Film credits include: My Brother the Devil. Soup with Barley, Punk Rock, The House of Blue Leaves, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and TOM MOUTCHI (Olawale/Kwame/Fabrice/Brian) On the Shore of the Wide World. is an actor, comedian, and writer. He trained at the Identity School of Acting and in 2016, he DAVID WEBBER (Abram/Ohene/Sizwe) trained was nominated for a Screen Nation Award for at Rose Bruford College. Theater includes: Favorite Online comedian. His recent theater The Beatification of Area Boy (BAM), Barber credits include: Twitstorm (Park Theatre). Some Shop Chronicles (National Theatre/world tour), of his screen credits include: Famalam (BBC), The Hudsucker Proxy (Liverpool Playhouse), The Hustle (MGM), Random Acts (Channel 4), Catch-22 (Northern Stage), Sweet Bird of Youth Pls Like Me, All Star Driving School, Hot Pepper, (Old Vic), (Young Raison d’être, and Pypo. Vic), Twelfth (), Death and the King’s Horseman; Leave ANTHONY OFOEGBU’s (Emmanuel) theater Taking (National Theatre), The Big Life (Apollo credits include: Barber Shop Chronicles (US ), Othello (Good Company); tour); Circle Mirror Transformation (Home, What’s in the Cat (Royal Court), Master Harold Manchester); , , & The Boys (Bristol Old Vic), Two Tracks & Text and (Royal Shakespeare Me (Leeds Playhouse), Antony & Cleopatra; Company Rome Season, 2017–18); My Flyin’ West and (Talawa Theatre), The Children! My Africa! (Trafalgar Studios - Merchant of Venice (Manchester), The Colored nominated for an Theatre Award for Museum (Double Edge T.C.), Remembrance Best Actor in 2015); (Nottingham (Carib T.C). Television credits include: Death in Playhouse); Death and the King’s Horseman Paradise (BBC 1), Year of the Rabbit; Chewing (); (Steven Gum; Youngers (Channel 4); Holby City; The Berkoff - Spoleto Festival, SC); Treemonisha Show; The Royal Bodyguard; (/ Arts Centre), and How Not To Live Your Life; Sarah Jane The Beatification of Area Boy (West Yorkshire Adventures; Being Human, and series regular in Playhouse/world tour). Television credits include: Grass (BBC). Film credits include The Children Moonfleet, , Casualty, Chambers, Family Act (BBC & Film Nation Entertainment), Captain Affairs, and The Bill. His film credits include: Phillips (Sony Pictures), Broken (Cuba Pictures/ Justified, Bad Day, and Samson and Delilah. BBC Films), Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (Westlake), Tipping the Velvet (BBC Films), The 51st State (Independent), Among Giants (Kudos), The Avengers (Warner Brothers). Photo: Marc Brenner Who’s Who

Limited Edition LOUIS HAMMOND CDG’s (tour casting Old Age (NYTW), La Susanna (Heartbeat Opera), director) theater includes: Violence and Son, Renascence, Summer and Smoke (Transport Fireworks, Who Cares, Primetime, The Twits, Group), Describe the Night (Atlantic Theater Caryl Churchill Season (Royal Court); Rock ‘n’ Company), Julius Caesar, The Outer Space, The Roll (Royal Court/West End); Creditors, The Civilians’ The Great Immensity, Richard Nelson’s Maira Kalman Print Member of the Wedding, The Indian Wants the The Apple Family Plays (Pubic/NYSF), Bronx, Dirty Butterfly, 5 Plays Project (Young (Waterwell), Sense and Sensibility (Bedlam), Vic); (Chichester Festival Theatre); Little Children Dream of God (Roundabout). The Distance, , The History Tours: Hamlet and St. Joan (Bedlam). B.A. Boys (Sheffield Crucible); The Resistible Rise of Barnard College. Arturo Ui (Liverpool Playhouse); Inkheart, The Funfair, Romeo and Juliet (Home, Manchester); Thanks to: Sebastian Born, Tom Lyons, Rufus The Winter’s Tale (Regent’s Park); Batman Norris, Ben Power, Nina Steiger, Christina Elliot, Live (World Arena Tour); All My Sons (Curve, Alice Massey, Niamh Dilworth, Amir Sheehan, Leicester); , Testing the Echo (Tricycle); Naomi Brooks, Sarah Cowan, Krystle Lai, (UK Tour); The Importance of Emily McLaughlin, Douglas Ejikeme Nwokolo, Being Earnest (West End); Donkeys’ Years (UK Michael Ekewere, Ros Brooke-Taylor, Nick Starr, Tour). Hammond was head of casting at Thames Peter Nice, Fusi Olateru, Jo and Alison Elliot, TV. Films include: Mirrormask, Beyond Re- Rambisayi Marufu, Billy Wolf, Chesta Clarke, Animator, Arsene Lupin, Ne Quittez Pas. Louis Shonisani Lethole, Milisuthando Bongela, Hammond CDG is a member of the Casting Mandal Mazibuko, Thabiso Mohare, Lebo Directors’ Guild of and . Mashile, Jessica Horn, Michale Onsando, Aleya Kassam, Njoki Ngumi, Maimouna Jallow, CHARMIAN HOARE (voice coach) trained at Ian Arunga, Brian Munene, George Gachara, Central School of Speech and Drama. Recent Njeri Wagacha, Mugsas Blick, Phiona Okumu, theater credits include, and Curious Cathy Adengo, Beverly Namozo, Dre Jackson, Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, (NT Patricia Okelowange, Jude Atebe, Wallace Egbe, Productions), Antipodes, Peter Gynt, I’m Fiona Hecksher, Wana Udobang, Tolu Ogunlesi, Not Running, Stories, The Lehman Brothers , Adreonke Adebanjo, Kenneth Trilogy, Barber Shop Chronicles, The Consent, Uphopho, Ore Disu, Jude Atebe, Tj Owusu, , John, The Great Wave, Absolute Mary Owusu-Bempah, Seth Ebo Arthur, Ni, Fiifi Hell, (National Theatre); Company & Omara Ayikwei Parkes, Marianne San Miguel, Marie-Laure de Noailles Beloved artist, illustrator, and author (); Macbeth, Plenty, This Is Billie McTernan, Belinda Boakye, Leeto Thale, in Her Paris Salon, 2019 My Family (Chichester Festival Theatre), Road , Daniel Poyser, Poetra Asantewa, Pigment print on Hot Maira Kalman is partnering with BAM to (Royal Court), Kiss Me Kate and Frost Nixon Erica Campayne, Amy Vaughan, Alison Holdom, Press Natural paper release a new limited edition artist’s print. (, Sheffield), The Rubinstein Nadine Patel, Pamela Vision, Sean Egan, Sue with deckled edges Kiss (), Jesus Hopped the Hoyle, Joe Hallgarten, Lilli Geissendorfer, Shail 11 5/8 × 14 inches Proceeds benefit BAM programs. A Train (Young Vic), The Treatment and Against Thaker, Xavier de Sousa, Jamie Hadley and the Edition of 75 (Almeida Theatre); Sweat, Welcome Home team at The Cut Festival of Barbering, and the Courtesy of the artist The print is available for purchase via Captain Fox, One Night in Miami (Donmar late David MacLennan and his team at A Play, a and Julie Saul Projects Warehouse); Uncle Vanya, Blue Door, Abigail’s Pie and a Pint at Òran Mór. $950 Artspace at BAM.org/MairaKalman. Party (Theatre Royal, Bath); The Pope (Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton); The Light in And special thanks to all the cast, crew, the Piazza (). creative team and partners who have worked on and contributed to the making of Barber Shop CAROLINE ENGLANDER (American stage Chronicles, from the very beginning. manager) Broadway: King Lear. Off-Broadway: The Courtroom (Waterwell), runboyrun and In