1st Night Photos: McCraney’s Water, Wilson’s Golf

Two plays by African-American playwrights received premieres in London this week – Radio Golf, the final instalment in the late August Wilson’s epic ten-play cycle, opened at the Tricycle on Monday (6 October, previews from 2 October), while In the Red and Brown Water, the first instalment in up-and-comer Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Brothers/Sisters trilogy, opened at the Young Vic last night (9 October, previews from 2 October) – and our Whatsonstage.com photographer Dan Wooller was on hand for both.

In the Red and Brown Water, which runs until 8 November 2008, centres on Oya who, as a child, is torn between her running dream and her sick mother; and, as a woman, she’s torn between two men and desperate to bear a child. It stars Ony Uhiara (as Oya) and Ashley Walters, aka former rapper Asher D from So Solid Crew, along with Adjoa Andoh, Camilla Beeput, Sheri-An Davis, John Macmillan, Cecilia Noble, Javone Prince and Abram Wilson. Walter Meierjohann directs.

The 27-year-old McCraney made his UK debut at the Young Vic last year with The Brothers Size, which, ahead of a UK tour, also returned this week to the theatre, where it runs - concurrently with In the Red and Brown Water - in the Young Vic’s Maria studio from 13 October to 8 November 2008 (previews from 8 October). Bijan Sheibani directs a new cast led by Daniel Francis, Tunji Kasim and Anthony Welsh, who were also in attendance last night along with other first night guests including actress Natalie Casey and Olympic sprinter Christine Ohuruogu.

TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL OF IN THE RED & BROWN WATERS’ 1st NIGHT PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE "NEXT >" LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.
PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

Coincidentally, Danny Sapani – who is currently appearing in Radio Golf at the Tricycle – will next month star in the world premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s latest play Wig Out! at the Royal Court. In Radio Golf, he’s joined by Joseph Marcell, Roger Griffiths, Julie Saunders and Ray Shell.

Written over 20 years, August Wilson’s ten-play cycle deals with the effects of slavery on successive generations of black Americans during the 20th century. Set in the 1990s, Radio Golf had its world premiere at the Yale Repertory Theatre in 2005 just before Wilson’s death from cancer (See News, 3 Aug 2005), and transferred last year to Broadway.

The Tricycle has presented five other British premieres of Wilson’s work over the past 15 years. The first was Joe Turner's Come and Gone followed by The Piano Lesson, Two Trains Running, King Hedley II and in 2006 Gem of the Ocean, the last four all directed by Paulette Randall, who also directs Radio Golf.

TO SCROLL THROUGH ALL OF RADIO GOLF’s 1st NIGHT PHOTOS,
JUST CLICK ON THE "NEXT >" LINKS BELOW THE FOLLOWING FRAME.
PHOTOS BY DAN WOOLLER FOR WHATSONSTAGE.COM.

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