Recently, I watched ‘Why a black woman will never be Prime Minister’ in Camden Theatre. This controversial title led to burning curiosity and immediate engagement. This show highlighted the effects of coming from a broken household, the struggle of breaking generational curses and the struggle of being a black woman in society. Zakiyyah Deen wrote and starred in the play showing her versatility and talent. The performance was both a spoken word and a narrative; the narrative illustrated the underrepresentation of black females in politics and the racial scrutiny they face.
Poet or politician?
In the play, Zakkiyah had a burning passion for poetry but wanted to undertake a historical politics degree to have security around her. This insightful play delved into the challenges her family faced from her mother being a teen mum to juggling jobs to survive. Ironically, Zakkiyah later experiences an unexpected teen pregnancy. The message of the play was executed effectively through humour as-well as political commentary.
I spoke with stage manager Danielle, who said that “it was a great process, everyone brought their own thing to it and added the extra layer of vibes. Zakkiyah is an amazing person! I have so much belief in the show and lots of people need to watch. It is overall thought provoking, and it makes you have a different outlook on life.”
Atlas, who has seen the play multiple times said that “it was good, I want to see more black creatives.” Conducting these interviews was intriguing, as they provided different perspectives on the performance.
As a black woman myself, I was inspired to speak my truth and left reflective about leaders in Britain today. Overall, it has the perfect serious and comedic balance to entertain but to inform/educate the audience. Consequently, the cast and crew were fantastic, and I recommend this as a must-watch to everyone!
