From
THE WESTBRIDGE
by Rachel De-lahay
Westbridge by Rachel De-lahay was first professionally performed at the Bussey Building, Peckham Rye as part of the Theatre Local season on 3 November 2011. The play later transferred to the Royal Court Theatre in London on 25 November 2011. Both productions were directed by Clint Dyer and performed by Ryan Calais Cameron (Andre), Chetna Panya (Soriya), Jo Martin (Audrey), Ray Panthaki (Ibi), Paul Bhattacharjee (Saghir), Fraser Ayres (Marcus), Daisy Lewis (Georgina), Shavani Seth (Sara), Samuel Folay (Boy), and Adlyn Ross (Old Lady).
Rachel De-lahay’s first play Westbridge explores the racial tensions between the Black and Asian communities in Britain. The play is set on a council estate in Battersea, south London, in a place where both cultures live as neighbours, lovers and childhood friends. When a black boy is accused of raping a fourteen-year-old Asian girl, the estate community is divided, old prejudiced attitudes resurface, causing animosity and a street riot. The pressure on the community is demonstrated through the relationship of interracial couple, Asian Soriya and Black Marcus, who are both mixed-raced, find their once harmonious relationship pushed to the limit.
About the Playwright
Rachel De-lahay was born in Handsworth in the West Midlands, England but now lives in London. Rachel has written for the stage and for radio. Rachel De-lahay was one of the ten writers selected for the Writersroom 10 scheme to support emerging theatre writers. Her play, LockSmiths was broadcast on Radio 3’s The Verb on Friday 11 May 2012. Westbridge (formerly SW11) and Sucker Punch by Roy Williams were joint winners of the Alfred Fagon Award for ‘Best Black Playwright of the Year’ in 2010. This was followed by a rehearsed staged reading of both plays, directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway at the Cottlesloe Theatre at the National Theatre.
Summary (Extract)
ANDRE, a sixteen-year-old Black British boy, has been suspected of raping a fourteen-year-old Asian girl resulting in him being thrown out of his mother’s house and ostracised by the community. Although Soriya’s boyfriend Marcus (mixed-race, white-African) is convinced that their childhood friend Andre did not commit the crime, Soriya (mixed-race, white-Asian) is not so sure, and against Marcus’ wishes, she chooses to confront him. Shocked by Soriya’s accusation, Andre challenges the prejudiced attitudes towards black men in the Aisna community, forcing Soriya to take a look at her own.
Shut up man! Yes they do. They hear a little something and retell it to suit their needs. ’Cause if an Asian girl gets raped by a young black boy, or worse, boys, then all Indian people round here have ammunition to say what they really think about their black neighbours! They can say they hate the way man like me smoke weeds on street corner, not thinking about the fact I ain’t causing no harm to no one…
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That little blonde thing upstairs has proper rubbed off on you. And it’s vice versa! Don’t get it twisted. You think black women round here, hard-working black women want to see one of the few sharp, intelligent, and I’ll ra say it, handsome, black men shacked up with a Paki?
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Ah. Did that sting? Don’t pretend you haven’t clocked on to that any ways. They would all love to see you married off to some distant cousin from back home. Then they’d be happy for you.
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Ah. My bad. You want entertainment. Shame, ’cause I only deal with facts, like Indian girls like cock same as everyone else! Black cock even. But then you already know that, don’t you? Yet when I say it, you’re thinking even more I did it, aren’t you? How about if I put my hood back up, like how I know you love it. Does that fuck with your head even more? Are you now certain I did it? How about if I step towards you in a way and walk just standardly how black guys walk? Now what you thinking?
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You so think you’re a part of this here world. And yet you wanna make those sorts of comments. And you think making them with a black man on your arm makes it OK? You can’t be racist, can you, if you’re fucking him at night? He ain’t even black sweetheart. You need to realise. One baby with you and that gene’s gone!