Each week as part of Recover, Restart and Reimagine, there is a set play text to read, which is then discussed at length in a session led by Middle Child’s Matthew May. During the second week of Restart the group had the spoken word play Misty by British playwright and actor Arinzé Kene to unpick and respond to. Michelle, one of the spoken word artists on the project, felt inspired to respond with this creative free writing response to the work.
Misty by Arinzé Kene a creative response by Michelle Dee
It’s a play about race but it is not a black play
cos the stuff that goes on is due to poverty
and lack of opportunity it is not speaking
about the black experience per se but the
crisis in masculinity in the UK a lack of role
models the scales tipped against success
he says some things about gentrification
fitting in adapting throughout the work
Arinzé is told he should be changing his
words how he couldn’t tell this story
because it predicated a stereotype he
tells it in patois in yardie speak dutty
lingo in a ‘featre’ he paints a dangerous
dynamic picture his world is full of characters
who challenge his views like an argument
on a social news feed echo chamber
baiting the base scoring hit points on
how society should think about race
it is not Arinzé’s responsibility not to to
offend there’s a great line maybe the best
line page 56 ‘If the audience aint ready to
be challenged maybe they shouldn’t come
to the theatre…’ then there is a the Sixth
Sense Fight Club return seats to the upright
position moment and I’ve not mentioned the
virus and blood cell ting I wonder how much
struggle he really has had with the Rebecca’s
and the Producers in this world to make
this show happen: it begs the question.
