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Death of England has survived because its real and unabashed conversations about race and immigration and a sense of being English. Commissioned by The Guardian in collaboration with Royal Court, it now comes to the West End with three of the original four stories (‘Michael’, “Delroy’ and ‘Closing Time’) being performed this summer.
‘Michael’ and ‘Delroy’ are the two shows to be seen. Vastly different from one other but touches upon being ‘British’ and struggling with their circumstances. Across the plays, we’re introduced to characters from different generations and heritages and what unites them is a shared experience of loss, pain and confused identity.
‘Michael’ is about a white working-class lad who is dealing with the death of his racist father. Thomas Coombes seamlessly switches his mood from happy to angry within seconds that it gives you a whiplash. He monologues about his father and how he had been treated by him. Like many father-son relationships, theirs was complicated and full of contradictions.
‘Delroy’ is played by Paapa Essideu. His story is taken one step further by breaking down the fourth wall between actor and audience to force the audience to answer him. His story is about what it means to truly belong and be ‘British’. At the beginning, he is shown to be targeting his wrath for Palestine sympathisers who work for the BBC to Trump’s recent repurposing of the Black power symbol. But as it goes on, he see a different part of Delroy that we don’t see when he reconciles with his girlfriend Carly and witnesses the birth of his child.
Both stories show us the struggles of the British working-class and how past issues are even more deep-rooted today than it was back then. Regardless of ethnicity or race, the issues that both Micheal and Delroy must face are relatable to everyone who identifies as British.
An entertaining yet though-provoking watch, Death of England is worth it!
Written by Nura Arooj