Blood of my Blood

Some histories refuse to stay buried, and Blood of my Blood by Joy Nesbitt is a powerful reminder that the past is never quite as distant as we might like to believe.

At the Royal Court Upstairs this compelling production cleverly intertwines it’s characters with the brutal legacy of slavery and the complexities of Black History, creating a dramatic tapestry in which personal lives and wider historical narrative are inextricably linked. The clever connections between character and time periods gradually develop deeper roots and truths, challenging our assumptions about identity and the stories we choose to tell, or desperately leave untold.

What makes Nesbitt’s play particularly strong is the way that it allows the individual lives of its characters to illuminate the bigger picture. History is not presented as some remote collection of dates and events, safely confined to textbooks, instead it’s consequences confront the past with heart and hard-hitting honesty.

The strong cast; Ronke Adék?lu?´j?´, Jodie Campbell, Hannah Morrish, Karene Peter, and Patrick Vaill bring the play’s tensions vividly to life, giving each character across the two time periods a distinctive presence, whist always maintaining the play’s intricate connections. Their combined performances ensure the switches of time are clear, and with some excellent direction from Tatenda Shamiso and sound by Kyodeine, and lighting design by Simisola Majekodunmi, these changes are strong dramatic moments that live long in the memory.

The productions space, designed by Natalie Pryce is equally effective. It transports the audience to the dilapidated shack and scrubby front yard of the former slave quarters, now repurposed as a quirky Airbnb. This uneasy collision of history and contemporary usage is a striking setting for the drama, making the past feel both physically present and yet unnervingly unchanged.

The questions Blood of my Blood poses remain painfully relevant today, observed by several audible gasps from the audience. How do the privileges and prejudices inherited from previous generations continue to shape the world we live in? More importantly, can we genuinely move forward without first acknowledging the injustices that have brought us here. This is an intelligent, thought-provoking piece of theatre that leaves a mark that refuses to go away. Lingering long in the memory.


Photo credit: Marc Brenner