It must be a hectic and exciting time for Steve Waters, Homerton College’s Director of Studies in Drama. His new play, World Music has just finished a month’s run in London’s Donmar Warehouse theatre (41 Earlham Street, London, WC2H 9LX, tel: 02 072 404 882).
World Music is about the troubled and bloody relationship between Africa and Europe, and how it affects the personal lives and loves of two generations. It draws from the troubled history of Central Africa to show how the deeds of the past contaminate our hopes for the future. The book of the script is available to buy - its cover is shown here.
Steve wrote an article in The Guardian last week, and the play was scheduled for discussion on BBC Radio 3’s Night Waves [Tuesday 17 February] - but unfortunately I missed it! Did anyone tape it?
World Music has already premiered last year in Sheffield - students and staff from Homerton went to that performance. There was a coach trip to the London production the other day. Library staff went to see it. Despite my prior expectations of a ‘political’ play, I totally enjoyed it. I was particularly impressed by the ‘natural’ way in which the characters spoke and interacted. The focus on individuals’ lives made the ‘politics’ palatable.
The play received a mixture of fairly positive reviews. This review in The Independent on Sunday was particularly complimentary. Steve has donated copies of the book of the play script to the Library. We have put up a display in the Library to celebrate Steve’s achievement and to revisit the events that World Music seeks to remind us of.