On Monday 26 October a time travelling family show will be hosted at Oldham Library with the aim of answering a simple question: "Why do people have different coloured skin?"
‘Alicia's Amazing Adventure to Find the First Black Britons’ will visit Oldham Library during Black History Month.
Children and grown-ups are invited to journey across time to uncover powerful, surprising stories of Black British history. Blending bold visuals, playful storytelling and unforgettable encounters, the show opens conversations about race, identity and belonging.
The show is created and performed by actor and theatre-maker Alicia McKenzie, who has worked with many notable companies such as the National Theatre, The RSC and Northern Broadsides. The story is inspired by personal experiences and a desire to tell the stories she wished she'd heard growing up.
Alicia said: “The show itself is extremely interactive. I love inviting the audience to shape the story. Since I’m the only performer, I can’t do it alone - it’s genuinely a shared experience.
“Families and children will help solve clues, find objects, question characters, dance, and play. They’ll use their problem-solving, sports, dance, literacy, and even maths skills. There’s something for everyone.”
The idea for the show began with a moment from Alicia’s own childhood.
“I remember an unsatisfactory conversation with my childhood teacher about why people have different coloured skin… one that stuck with me my whole life. It showed me how poor our collective understanding of race and British identity can be.”
Years later, performing a Black History Month piece in schools brought that memory back.
“I performed it in several diverse schools across London and saw how engaged the black children were - they really wanted to hear these stories.
“But I kept feeling these aren’t my words. I was telling black history as a black woman, but the script hadn’t been written by a black person.”
That experience led her to ask: “If I were to tell this story as a black woman from the north of England, what stories would I choose? How would I want to say it?”
Alicia’s Amazing Adventure is supported by an exceptional creative team – many who are black or mixed-heritage artists.
It is Alicia’s first show as a solo artist. The piece incorporates her desire to use group imagination and simple storytelling techniques to enable the audience to participate in the unfolding of the narrative as the quest plays out.
In the show, an adult Alicia remembers an unsatisfactory conversation with her childhood teacher about why people have different coloured skin. Unhappy with the answer she was given, she sets out on a quest to find out how long black people have been living in Britain.
With a little bit of magic, the ancestors leave her clues to solve and with the help of the audience, all are whisked back in time to meet some extraordinary characters from years gone by.
The show will be at Oldham Library
Monday 26 October, 11am and 2pm
For further information, and to book tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/livethelibrary-alicias-amazing-adventure-to-find-the-first-black-britons-tickets-1984371504588
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