FAMILY MAN
Family Man was first performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East in London on 2 May 2008. It was directed by Dawn Reid, Deputy Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Stratford East, and had the following cast: Gary Beadle, Llewella Gideon, Jo Martin, Jo Castleton, Ayesha Antoine, Ricci McLeod and Aaron Taylor.
Family Man explores the universal theme of parenthood, in particular the subject of ‘letting go’ and thus allowing children to become adults, making their own decisions and mistakes. The story centres on Caesar Ramsey, a black Caribbean father to teenage son Nelson, who desperately tries to break a three-generation pattern of irresponsible parenting in his family. But when Nelson informs his father that his teenage girlfriend is expecting their baby, Caesar cannot control his feeling of disappointment and guilt which leads to irrational acts of violence and abuse. Caesar turns into the father in his nightmares, causing a complete breakdown of his relationship with his son and of his marriage. In order to move on, Caesar is forced to find resolution to his estranged relationship with his single-parent mother. He gradually realises that in parenthood mistakes are inevitable but forgiveness and letting go are essential parts of the process too.
About the Playwright
Award-winning playwright, director, choreographer, rock musician, cabaret artist and producer Rikki Beadle-Blair was born in South London and raised by his Jamaican mother. From the age of seventeen when he performed with his band Three People at Gay’s the Word concert, Rikki Beadle-Blair has been a proactive gay activist using his artistic voice to raise awareness of homosexuality, particularly in the black community. He has written, directed and produced for theatre, radio and film and is probably most renowned for his award-winning stage play Bashment which he later adapted and directed for film. He founded the production company Team Angelica, a company dedicated to nurturing, developing and producing new writing for theatre and film. Both individually and through his company, Beadle-Blair has produced work in London and in the regions with companies such as The Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Contact Theatre, Unity Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Drill Hall and Tristan Bates Theatre to name but a few.
Other published plays by Rikki Beadle-Blair include Bashment, Shalom Baby and Fit.
Summary (Extract)
The play flashes back to twenty-four years ago, when a shoeless crying Caesar arrives at his Nana Grace’s house in the middle of the night, upset about being abused by teenage mother Precious. NANA GRACE, a fifty-one year old Jamaican woman, dressed in her robe and wig, comforts her grandson by reassuring him of his mother’s love for her first son. Nana Grace admits to parenting her daughter (his mother) in the same way explaining to Caesar that just like his mother, she lacked the ability to show love.
But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready. I thought I was ready. I’d been an abiding child and a God-Fearing girl, I thought I’d become a wise and ready woman. I came to this country to escape my family and find my dream. I was lonely, it was cold – and in the long dark evenings, I stumbled. And fell straight under a man. Under his body, under his spell. I thought I was in love. Maybe I was. He was so handsome, so gentlemanly, so kind – I thought ‘Jesus won’t mind’ and I lay with him. And one morning the gentle man was gently gone. And then there we were, your mama and me in this cold cold place. And I wasn’t ready. I thought all a child needed was food and shelter and school and licks. If I worked hard and was righteous and prayed that would be enough. But children need more I know that now. Children need more than love, more than food. Children need passion. But I believed that I owed my faith to the Lord and your mama’s father had run away with all the passion. And there was none left for the child I had named Precious. So I fed her and made her big – bwoy, that gyal got big – schooled her with licks and I told myself that she should feel loved. But without a sense of passion there is no feeling of love. And without that anchor of faith she drifted – just like me – only younger. I told her she wasn’t ready. I warned her you’d grow up bad, just like she did. She swore to me you wouldn’t. And you didn’t. She did well. Not perfect, but well. But I think she missed something – I think she missed showing you the love. She loves you, Caesar – with a passion – She’s just lost, like her mama was and like you will be someday. But give her time and she will find you.