For Black Boys… to return to the West End in 2024

Olivier-Award nominated For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy will return to the West End.

Following three previous sold-out runs, the latest at the Apollo Theatre earlier this year, Ryan Calais Cameron’s piece will run for a strictly limited season of nine weeks at the Garrick Theatre.

Previews begin on 29 February ahead of an official opening on 7 March 2024. Tickets go on sale from 2PM on Wednesday, 22 November.

Inspired by Ntozake Shange’s seminal work For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy is located on the threshold of joyful fantasy and brutal reality: a world of music, movement, storytelling and verse – where six men clash and connect in a desperate bid for survival.

Father figures and fashion tips. Lost loves and jollof rice. African empires and illicit sex. Good days and bad days. Six young Black men meet for group therapy, and let their hearts – and imaginations – run wild.

The production has set design by Anna Reid, lighting design by Rory Beaton, sound design and composition by Nicola T Chang, movement direction by Theophilus O. Bailey, musical direction and vocal arrangement by John Pfumojena and casting by Isabella Odoffin. Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu directed the show’s original run at the New Diorama Theatre. Casting will be announced in due course.

Ryan Calais Cameron, playwright and Nouveau Riche Artistic Director, said: “I am thrilled by the prospect of For Black Boys… gracing the stage once more, delivering a compelling and thought-provoking narrative that has deeply resonated with both audiences and critics. It is truly humbling to witness how this production has also propelled the careers of the first remarkable actors who breathed life into these characters. Observing their excellence on renowned stages and in high-profile projects is a source of immense pride.

“The opportunity to offer the roles to a new generation of actors brings profound joy. It is a testament to the ongoing dialogue sparked by For Black Boys… and a commitment to providing emerging talents with the chance to shine.”

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy was originally commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by Boundless Theatre. The West End production is presented by the Royal Court Theatre, Nimax Theatres, Nouveau Riche and the New Diorama Theatre.