Elmina's KitchenElmina's Kitchen at The Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London Kwame Kwei-Armah's award-winning Elmina's Kitchen opens at the Garrick Theatre in London's West End following a national tour. The cast - Doña Croll, Oscar James, Michael Obiora, Shaun Parkes and Don Warrington - are joined by Kwame Kwei-Armah who plays Deli. Directed by Angus Jackson, Elmina's Kitchen is designed by Bunny Christie, with lighting by Hartly T A Kemp and music by Neil McArthur. The production, which premiered at the National Theatre has been recently remounted at Birmingham Rep. Wirtten as a dark love letter to his son, Elmina's Kitchen is the story of a single dad's struggle to survive and protect his wayward son from the temptations of crime. Set in a run down West Indian café in Hackney, Deli takes on a new waitress, feisty Anastasia, to help him clean up and improve his café. Meanwhile, his son Ashley and his old friend Digger are out to advance themselves in a rather different way whilst Deli's own father and his best friend have their own ideas for self-improvement. Elmina's Kitchen was Kwame Kwei-Armah's first play for the National Theatre, winning him the 2003 Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright and an Olivier Award nomination. Following a successful run in the Cottesloe in 2003 Elmina's Kitchen was screened on BBC4. Fix Up, his second play for the National also directed by Angus Jackson, opened in December 2004. His other writing credits include Hold On (Durham Theatre Royal and national tour), A Bitter Herb (Bristol Old Vic), Blues Brother Soul Sister (Bristol Old Vic and national tour) and Big Nose (Belgrade Theatre Coventry) as well as participating in the Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays. On television he is best known for playing Finlay Newton in the BBC's long running Casualty. He was an immensely popular contestant on Celebrity Fame Academy and subsequently released his first album, Kwame. Kwame Kwei-Armah is joined by Don Warrington playing Clifton (best known as Phil in the hit comedy series Rising Damp, his theatre work includes The Merchant of Venice and The Mysteries), Doña Croll as Anastasia (most recently seen on stage in Two Step at the Almeida and on television in Family Affairs and Gimme Gimme Gimme), Shaun Parkes as Digger (stage work includes Guantanamo at the New Ambassadors, Blue/ Orange at the Duchess and Chips with Everything at the National; his film work includes The Mummy Returns and Human Traffic), Oscar James as Bayjee (theatre work includes Of Mine and Men at the Old Vic, Playboy of the West Indies at the Tricycle and The Coup at the National; film and television work includes Afterlife, Love Thy Neighbour, Till Death Us Do Part) and Michael Obiora as Ashley, (theatre work includes Fallout at the Royal Court and on television he began his professional career aged 9 playing Max Abassi in Grange Hill). Elmina's Kitchen was Angus Jackson's debut production at the National, which he followed with Fix Up, also written by Kwei-Armah. His other productions include the Old Vic New Voices 24 Hour Plays, Fuddy Mears (Birmingham Rep and The Arts Theatre), Dealer's Choice (Birmingham Rep), Up On The Roof (Minerva, Chichester) and Sexual Perversity in Chicago (Sheffield Crucible). His film credits include Late One Night, a short film written by Patrick Marber (currently in post-production). Full website coming soon.... |