Light and shadow

Today I went to a reading of Jackie Kay's 1987 play Chiaroscuro which blew me away. I went on my own, after being invited by my tutor at Goldsmiths, Natasha Bonnelame, who was hosting the event. I sat apart from everyone else, as my anxiety was sky-rocketing after being directed by three different people and then almost not finding the right room. I thought I was going to be late and was freaking out - luckily, I wasn't late and the event was running behind time, which gave my heart a moment to return to a normal rate.

I took this photo after the reading, on a high of loving life
and seeing the beauty in it. Happy Spring, guys.

The play consisted of four black female friends in conversation with each other, bringing up themes of racism, identity, history, homophobia, belonging, and many more. The four actors who performed the reading (Radhika Aggarwal as Aisha, Jade Anouka as Opal, Lorna Brown as Yomi, and Jessica Murrain as Beth) each did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life in a way that wasn't merely a reading, but more of a journey.

I was touched by the issues raised in Chiaroscuro: of being rooted to the history of your family through your name, of not knowing where you belong, of questioning whether you should be yourself fully - if that was okay.