“Shebeen” by Mufaro Makubika
Nottingham Playhouse

It’s a hot, humid summer in 1958, St Anns, Nottingham and the race riots are raging. Jamaican couple Pearl and George are helping Caribbean migrants to cut loose at their Shebeen – a forbidden party where drinks flow, music plays, food is plentiful, and carefree attitudes roam.

The night is fuelled by rum, calypso and dancing, and the Shebeen is under threat from the police, and as tensions build everyone is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths.

Violence is quashed internally but out in the streets, it's a different matter if the colour of your skin don't fit and you're half of a multi racial relationship like Linford and Mary.

Local actor made good, Karl Collins plays George, an ex boxer who had his head almost turned with the lure of one more fight that may elevate he and his family into a space where the paper isn't peeling off of the damp walls.His fight is now of a different kind.

Martina Laird plays Pearl, George's wife. Incredibly protective of her man, her home and her friends. The home maker and peace maker.

Rolan Bell is wonderful as the laid back, style conscious Earnest, with Chloe Harris playing Mary, Theo Solomon playing Linford and Danielle Waters as Gayle. Hazel Ellerby gives a powerful and passionate performance as Mary's mother, Mrs Clark.

This play is very powerful, and even though it is set in the late 1950's, it shows that opinions and feelings have not changed that much over the years.

"Shebeen" at times has a blanket feeling of fear which really explodes at the end, but there's also a scene where the police arrive during the Shebeen and arrest Linford and the language and racist comments had sections of the audience audibly shocked.

Adam Rojko Vega as Constable Reed really stirs things up as the racist cop; a complete contrast to Karl Haynes who played Sergeant Williams.

The soundtrack for the play is glorious, full of calypso, early ska and pre Bluebeat songs from the likes of Harry Belafonte, Lord Kitchener and Laurel Aitken. The scene with the dancing, the lights and mirror ball really swept you away to another world of early "blues" parties where good times and enjoying yourself were the main aim of these gatherings.

Directed by Matthew Xia, he presents an emotionally charged piece of theatre which, with it being set in the locality, really creates an air of reality and unease, as well as being a useful history lesson. Bringing the wonderful words of Mufaro Makubika to life in glorious colour.

It's also nice to hear a Nottingham accent that isn't all "me duck" as well, the dialect sounds very natural, and the Caribbean accents also is lilting and not over the top.

I must also mention the costumes because they are just so stylish. Think Kid Creole style and you've got it spot on. I love those suits.

The set is a piece of art with perfect view of stairs, kitchen, front hall and living room and the outer area around the house. Cleverly designed by Grace Smart.

You should leave the theatre feeling more than a little concerned about the past, present and future world we live in, because the story is still very prominent sixty years on in 2018.

“Shebeen” is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 16 June 2018