Although I am WAKEUP Theatre’s Producer I also have numerous acting roles within 130,000. One of my acting roles is Kwame Abena, a male teenager from South London who is stabbed to death on his way home from school. Roy Williams’ Fallout is a powerful play about race and law, and is inspired by the tragic deaths of Stephen Lawrence and Damilola Taylor. A way in which I was helped to better my characterisation of Kwame was by watching the drama that Channel 4 created of Fallout. The scenes helped me sympathise and create an emotional attachment to my character, whilst also being sensitive to the fact Kwame represents Stephen Lawrence and Damilola Taylor, two teenagers whom were both stabbed to death. Roy Williams stated on Channel 4’s website, “I remember following the Damilola Taylor Case, and the feelings that I had. Anger with the killers, anger with whoever had let those kids down. I felt it was important as well as necessary to write a piece that allowed all my feelings, and the feelings of those kids and police to be expressed” (Williams, 2013, online). Williams’ play had a huge impact on WAKEUP Theatre, and we felt it was important that our characterisation for all characters were accurate. I began to research Stephen Lawrence and the information was upsetting to say the least. Stephen Lawrence was born in Eltham, South-east London and was only 19 years old when he was randomly and thoughtlessly stabbed and attacked. He was currently studying is A levels and was hoping to further his education at University. His attack was unprovoked and Stephen sadly died on 22nd April 1993.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fallout/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1
WAKEUP Theatre’s script writer and Editor Joshua Rivett wrote Kwame a speech at the beginning of the performance to introduce the show.
“Hello everyone. I’m Kwame, thought I’d just introduce myself to you, since you’ll be hearing a lot about me for the next hour or so. (Mobile rings) Oh, sorry, got to take this. My girl, well, you know what they’re like. (Answers) Hey baby girl. Yeah, good. Just finished. Not tomorrow baby, got to finish that last assignment. I can’t baby. I know girl, I want to too. Yeah, like last time. A little tickle? You’re a bad girl now. (Turns to face audience, like he forgot they were there listening) Oh. I got to go now baby, I’m in the middle of something. Bye. Love you. No I love you more. No you hang up. No you. No you- She hung up. Where was I? Oh yeah, you’ll be hearing a lot about me. I’m kind of important in this story. See, I had it all going well for me. Smart, good prospects for my future. Applying for uni. Sexy girlfriend. Good looking, obviously. I was doing something with my life. I had something. Had. I was a good boy. It can just change like that. And then it was over. Worst thing is, all I did wrong was to try and not end up the same as them what did it. Ironic when you think about it” (WAKEUP Theatre, 2013, p. 1).
From the information I have gained from reading verbatim speeches that Doreen Lawrence had said about her son, he was described as friendly and well loved. As Kwame represents Stephen Lawrence within 130,000 I wanted to perform this character correctly, and as he opens the show I felt that a welcoming manner was well suited. I played Kwame happy and friendly, who was very much in love with his girlfriend with a future and a good education ahead of him. Towards the end of the opening speech I felt anger when describing how I was a good boy who didn’t deserve to die, this helped my characterisation even more as I was able to try and imagine the fury and sadness that his family and friends must have felt a the time when it happened. Philip Fisher wrote a review in the British Theatre Guide describing his response to Roy Williams’ Fallout. “Kwame was a nice boy and that was his downfall. Just before he was due to escape his terrifying estate for university, four “bwois” who knew him well murdered him for no real reason, just a minor case of sexual jealousy. Williams explores the motives of not only his murderers but their friends and the police, to build a picture of a community that is largely out of control. At times funny and at others terrifying, Ian Rickson’s production – in one of those Royal Court redesigns that leaves a transformed theatre in the round with no stalls – is well-acted and often perceptive” (Fisher, 2003, online). As Kwame introduced the show, I felt it was important to make a big impact on the audience; I made sure I was full of energy, comical and also emotional at times. As 130,000 represents teenagers from South London I had to make sure my speech was slow and distinct so that the audience had time to adjust and be able to understand.
The characters in Channel 4’s rendition of Roy Williams’ Fallout was described in a review as “None of them was likable, but they were saddening, maddening and – perhaps for the first time to some viewers – comprehensible. This was clever, compassionate, clear-sighted drama” (Mangan, 2008, online). As the Producer of WAKEUP Theatre Company, this information also helped me give advice and guide other actors throughout the rehearsal process as they developed their individual characters.
Work Cited
Channel 4OD (2013) Channel 4OD, Fallout. Online: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fallout/4od#2918302. (accessed 22nd May 2013).
Fisher, Philip (2003) British Theatre Guide. Online: http://www.britishtheatreguide.info/reviews/fallout-rev. (accessed 22nd Mat 2013).
Mangan, Lucy (2008) The Guardian. Online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2008/jul/04/lastnightstvfallout. (accessed 22nd May 2013).
WAKEUP Theatre (2013) 130,000 an adaptation of Fallout by Roy Williams,Lincoln: Lincoln School of Performing Arts.
Williams, Roy (2013) Channel 4OD, Fallout. Online: http://www.channel4.com/programmes/fallout/episode-guide/series-1/episode-1. (accessed 22nd May 2013).