Coming to England Review

 A theatre play at The Garrick, Lichfield,Staffs.

based on the True Story of Baroness Floella Benjamin's life.

Arriving at the newly refurbished Garrick theatre, we were greeted by the sound of school children, quite a considerable amount of them! Renovations in the theatre were not yet complete so no coffee to enjoy whilst we waited for the auditorium doors to open. 

The stage was set with a television boarder and fuzzy black and white backdrop (which older members of the audience will remember when the television was off air). Then the Playschool theme tune and words came on. 'Here's a house, here's a door, here's the windows - one, two, three four.....' I said all the words of its introduction out aloud. I felt so much younger!  Floella, played by Julene Robinson, bounced onto the stage and had a lovely 'high five' 'hello' song to greet us all into her life. 

We were introduced to her family, the way of life in Trinidad, both with family, school life and hopes for a future - her father wanted to be a Jazz player in England. Then we were treated to songs about the lovely foods and the carnivals with dazzling colours and brilliant costumes with feathered headdresses in sunny Trinidad. 

Her father left for England saying he would send for them. Then her mother left with the two youngest children leaving Floella, her elder sister with an 'aunt' (she wasn't a blood relative and treated the girls badly, and the boys were separated from the girls. Her two brothers were not fed properly and made to fight for their food. My heart squeezed at the thought of being abandoned with only hope of ever seeing her parents and siblings again. Letters sent from England didn't get to the children, so no news was received for 18 months.

Finally, the four children were reunited and on the ship travelling to England, without any specific adult supervision, to be reunited with the rest of the family. They arrived cold and dismayed at the way white people reacted towards them. 

As the stage changed to drab London scenes it was a terrible reminder of prejudice at the time of the Windrush. I'm sure in some parts of England some of these prejudices still stand but to our shame. Where would we have been without extra nurses and doctors in our NHS? We invited people into our country for filling gaps in our workforce and then, in public places, discredited them and made them feel like outcasts. Thankfully times have changed and diversity is more common place. 

Floella's story is one of perseverance, patience, determination and kindness showing the school children in attendance that education is key, success is made by your own hard work, reaching your goal with a smile on your face and a good heart, standing up for yourself and knowing what is your problem and what problems are not yours. 

I took the opportunity to meet Baroness Floella Benjamin earlier this year, at the House of Lords in London. She is the President of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists (SWWJ) of which I am a member. It was a surreal day, she is a marvellous ambassador for our organisation and the many charities she supports. She is still smiling at 75 and is still as beautiful as she was on Playschool. I don't know who liked the programme more - me as a young mum or my daughter!! We are both Playschool babies.

The story book for children is available from Amazon

I was glad to see so many primary school children at the theatre and hope they will remember it when they are older. I hope the senior school children will discuss the issue of racism in their school, that the younger generation will not have the struggles that Windrush people experienced and that all people embrace change and diversity.  

An excellent production well-acted and sang. Simple scenery and lovely costumes fitting to the era. 

Well done everyone. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐