Blue Hug Theatre Company presents:
MEETINGS.

Written by Mustapha Matura Directed by Dan Barnard

Arcola Theatre, 2nd to 20th October 2007

Live Caribbean cooking in this revival from the writer of Playboy of the West Indies

PRESS NIGHT: MONDAY 8TH OCTOBER, ARCOLA STUDIO 2, 8.15PM

Arcola’s Studio 2 becomes a fully functioning kitchen in celebration of Caribbean culinary heritage to stage this revival of the 1991 play by Trinidadian writer Mustapha Matura. Come and experience the irresistible smells and tastes of chipp-chipp soup, corn beef dumplings and coo-coo cooking in Hugh and Jean’s Trinidad apartment.

In the decade following the oil boom of the late 70s, Meetings finds a generation tempted by the capitalist charms of America while rooted in a more traditional culture. High fliers Hugh and Jean drive fast cars and eat faster food, but can the relationship between these two execs survive when Hugh becomes nostalgic for the family, identity and heritage he left behind?

Mustapha Matura emerged in the UK in the 1970s, winning the George Devine and John Whiting awards in 1971 for his first full-length stage play, As Time Goes By. His work depicted the struggle of first generation West Indians to adapt to a British way of life and in 1978 formed the Black Theatre Co-operative with Charlie Hanson. Mustapha won the Evening Standard’s Most Promising Playwright Award in 1974 for Play Mas, which opened at the Royal Court and transferred to the West End. Other works include Trinidad Sisters, based on Chekhov’s Three Sisters, Playboy of the West Indies after Synge’s classic and The Coup, commissioned and presented by the National Theatre in 1991, when Mustapha also received the Trinidad and Tobago Government Scarlet Ibis Award for achievement.

Blue Hug theatre company have a long standing artistic association with Arcola Theatre. Their last full production Full Circle by Kobus Moolman ran in November 2006 at Oval House to high critical acclaim. This summer they produced The Turk Plays at Arcola, a series of readings of classical plays addressing Turkish identity as part of Arcola’s Turkish season.

Cast: Davinia Anderson, Nicholai La Barrie, Inika Leigh Wright.

www.bluehug.co.uk / www.arcolatheatre.com
Listings Information

Venue: Arcola Theatre Studio 2
Address: 27 Arcola Street, London E8 2DJ
Dates: 2nd – 20th October 2007
Times: 8.15pm Mon to Sat. Matinee performance Sat 20th at 3pm. Post show discussions: 10th, 17th Oct. Sign Language Interpreted perfs: 9th,15thOct.
Price: £13, £9 concessions. Tues “Pay What You Can”, no concs Sat
Box Office: www.arcolatheatre.com, 020 7503 1646
Transport: Victoria Line to Highbury and Islington, then North London line to Dalston
Kingsland. Left out of station and 5 minute walk. Buses 38, 149, 30, 67,76