The intimacy of The Bush’s space welcomes us into an extended front room of a house. A house filled with memories and pictures on the wall, with well worn but cared for furniture. The house of someone who has worked hard all his life and values what that has brought him.
Enter Lenny Henry, as August. Jovial, friendly, but at times harsh. Throughout the play we learn the story of August, who moved with his mother to England as a child and grew up here. He builds a life and a family, and suddenly, like a wave, it is taken from him. This story of the Windrush generation quite literally takes your breath away, as this man who was full of life and love and hope is crushed by a technicality well beyond his control.
Henry’s performance is astounding, weaving between characters but retaining August’s point of view - everyone we see is seen through his lens. He brings the audience in with such ease, making you feel he is speaking just to you.