Under the Kundè Tree at Southwark Playhouse to explore the ‘Hidden War’ of Cameroonian Independence

Clarisse Makundul’s Under the Kundè Tree comes to Southwark Playhouse this spring.

Set during the ‘Hidden War’ of Cameroonian Independence, the empowering piece follows a young woman, Sara, struggling to balance her heart’s desire and the pressure to fulfil traditional familial obligations during a time of conflict and the fight for decolonisation.

The cast includes award-winning actress Selina Jones (Raised by Wolves, HBO Max; KAOS,  Netflix; An Unfinished Man, Yard Theatre); Fode Simbo (Andor, Disney+; Vigil, BBC; Fisherman’s  Friends: One and All, Entertainment Film); Amma-Afi Osei (Red Brick, VAULT Festival; The Poison  Belt, Jermyn Street Theatre); Yinka Awoni (I May Destroy You and This Is Going to Hurt, BBC;  Last Christmas, Universal Pictures); and Clarisse Makundul (Paris Memories, Pathé; Women of  Troy, Arcola Theatre).

Inspired by her grandmother’s generation in Cameroon, Makundul explores the challenges that women like Sara faced every day in the 1950s during a violent and turbulent period. The drama tackles issues of colonialism, family, love, identity and freedom, grappling with these important topics that have significant contemporary relevance, while also revealing an often overlooked and unknown part of world history.

Under the Kundè Tree is the only production in the UK to explore the Cameroonian Independence War through the lens of women. The conflict is often called the ‘Hidden War’, as it never made global headlines and to this day isn’t taught in schools around the world. This powerful production highlights this important moment in the decolonisation of Africa, and the history of Cameroon and its people.

Ebenezer Bamgboye directs the production from Clarisse Makundul Productions with set & costume design by Niall McKeever, lighting design by Arnim Friess, sound design by Max Pappenheim, movement director Rose Ryan and dramaturgs Gregoire Colin and Laure Bachelier-Mazon.

Director Ebenezer Bamgboye said: “A true honour to be bringing this gripping, visceral and virtuosic play to life; telling the story of the Cameroonian fight for independence for the first time in British theatre history. Alongside a stellar creative team, we are seeking to create an immersive, visually arresting and deeply theatrical production that entertains audiences whilst confronting them with the previously hidden, dark history of the Western world.”

For more information and tickets, visit southwarkplayhouse.co.uk