Festival review: Walk Like A Black Man; C ECA (venue 50)

This one-man play about a half-Indian, half-black boy waiting to meet his black family for the first time blends drama with stand-up comedy in a very engaging manner.

Rafiq Richard plays the racially confused teenager (“what am I – Blindian?”) who charts all the identity issues he’s had through his life, and who yearns to be one, readily classifiable racial type, rather than having to tick the box on forms which says “black – other”.

While he nervously awaits the black relatives with whom, he hopes, he will feel an affinity and sense of belonging, he poses some thought-provoking questions about being of mixed race in 21st-century Britain.

Embracing his black side is 
an appealing and exciting prospect, because he thinks black is the coolest colour, and presumably because he’s never quite fitted in with the alternative, the Asian side of his parentage.

It gets a big bogged down in the middle, but overall this is 
an enjoyable and wry look at 
the importance of understanding one’s racial heritage and identity.


Rating: ***

Until 27 August. Today 4:30pm.