Theatre
Idris Elba at The Young Vic
Theatre
You’d think that Idris Elba would be content with his successes having starred in renowned TV series The Wire and of course Luther, he even owns a London bar and has an album under his belt; is there anything this man can’t do?! It would appear not, as he has now ventured into the world of theatre and has created a new play that is due to showcase at The Young Vic in the summer of 2019.
His production, entitled Tree, will be a poignant piece exploring the spirit and soul of contemporary South Africa, which he has created alongside the Artistic Director at The Young Vic, Kwame Kwei-Armah. Tree will follow the journey of a man and his contact with current cultural tensions, conflict and prospects through a combination of powerful words, music and dance. Some of the music in this play has been taken from the soundtrack of the film he starred in in 2013 ‘Long Walk to Freedom.’
Elba has spoken about why the meaning and concept behind this play is so important to him and why at has been such an emotive experience for him to embark on together with Kwame Kwei-Armah: “We’ve both experienced personal moments of healing connected with the country and we’re starting to explore the together. For me, an interesting part of the process is looking at the next part of the story; the new universe that sprung up after Mandela. To be able to investigate that with Kwame, a writer with such a tremendous vision for whom I have great respect and love, is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.’
Even though Elba himself won’t be in the cast (I know, we’re sad too) we expect it to be a great success nonetheless and are prepared to be at the front of the waiting list for tickets as it will, without a doubt, be a sell-out performance.
Photo Credit: Capital FM