★★★★ Timeout
Posted on 12 June 2019
Yasmin Joseph’s excellent and ambitious debut play follows three young women at the Notting Hill Carnival
Box office: 020 7978 7040
Tobi Kyeremateng, BadBreed and Theatre503 presents
Contact our Box Office on 020 7978 7040 to join the Waiting List for returns.
£18 | £17 | £12 Conc.|
£10 Previews (1-4 June) & Weds Matinees | Pay What You Can Sat. Matinees
RUNNING TIME / NOTICES: 95mins (no interval) / Recommended for 14yrs plus. Production contains strobe lighting.
TAILORED PERFORMANCES: 12 June, 12noon Parent & Baby & 7.30pm Relaxed;
19 June, 7.30pm Captioned
“What people you know can party through all of the earth’s elements?”
Carnival is here. The streets of Notting Hill are alive with history and amongst the pulsating soca, dazzling colour, and endless sequins and feathers, Jade and Nadine are fighting for space in a world they thought was theirs.
A timely reflection on the Black British experience and sexual politics of Carnival, J’Ouvert is a piercing, hilarious and fearless story of two best friends, battling to preserve tradition in a society where women’s bodies are frequently under threat.
J’Ouvert marks the debut play of Yasmin Joseph and directorial debut of actor Rebekah Murrell (Nine Night, National Theatre, Trafalgar Studios), with the two combining forces with producer Tobi Kyeremateng to create an exciting new theatre company, bringing this rhythmic, vibrant, testimony of womanhood to life.
RELAXED: For anyone who benefits from a more relaxed performance environment. House lights are left up with audience free to exit and reenter as required. Sound levels are reduced and any strobe / ‘flashing light’ effects will be omitted also.
PARENT & BABY: Similar to our Relaxed Performance in terms of technical alterations, but provided as an opportunity for new mums and dads to enjoy a spot of theatre without the need to hire a babysitter. Please note, we do not exclude other audience members from booking to see this performance.
CAPTIONED: We’re offering captioning to mobile phones via the Difference Engine app, from Talking Birds. Download the free app from the App Store or Google Play, or find more info via the Difference Engine website.
Yasmin Joseph
Yasmin is one of Theatre503’s resident playwrights, The 503Five, and an alumna of the Soho Theatre Young Writers Lab. Recent credits include Sugar (Kiln Theatre: Mapping Brent) as well as short plays, The Place of Shining Light (Theatre503) and Do You Pray? (Theatre503 and Southwark Playhouse).
Yasmin Joseph’s excellent and ambitious debut play follows three young women at the Notting Hill Carnival
Carnival, this distinct and temporary space with its colours and abundance, its inviting rhythms and seasoned foods, felt special, and being a small part of it made me feel special, too.
The language, the music and the movement all feel right.
A gorgeously authentic carnival story from playwright Yasmin Joseph and actor-turned-director Rebekah Murrell
J’Ouvert play captures the bliss of carnival through the eyes of young British Caribbean women
This is Notting Hill Carnival meets the black box theatre space. The space is transformed into a carnival vibe with music that makes you want to dance.
This is a piece for people who feel Carnival in their bones and live Joseph’s references year after year. Laughter regularly rings out, along with knowing verbalisations and joining in with familiar sayings.
a great play that provides a very powerful message alongside powerful laughter.
J’Ouvert is the effort of two young women to exorcise and liberate themselves, to imagine their empowerment and their reclamation for what is rightfully theirs – their bodies, their space, their voice – culminating in Joy’s powerful speech at the end of the show.
