Supported by The Space and produced by leading British African heritage contemporary theatre company tiata fahodzi in association with Bristol Old Vic On Screen, announce playwright Nkenna Akunna’s critically acclaimed theatre show cheeky little brown is available to stream through both Bristol Old Vic and tiata fahodzi websites until 2 November.
The performance was filmed during a critically acclaimed run at London’s Stratford East in Spring 2024, which followed its UK Premiere at Bristol Old Vic and a successful UK tour in Autumn 2023.
How do you break up with your best friend?
“When you’ve known someone basically your whole life,
Since you were five,
And you know all the same people,
And everyone you know knows you as one special Thing,
Sister-friends.”
Part musical, part drama, cheeky little brown is a profound, surreal and comic exploration of friendship, queer love, and heartbreak studded with snappy comedic intrigue and glittering prose. Starring Tiajna Amayo as Lady – a determined, sharp-tongued charmer who loves her best friend Gemma, lamb doner and a good night out – cheeky little brown explores a coming-of-age story that examines a friendship between two Black women on diverging paths of self-love and acceptance.
Directed by Chinonyerem Odimba and featuring original songs by Akunna, cheeky little brown is a skillfully written foray into a young woman’s life and personal struggles with change. It is so exciting that the show is being released as a digital stream – continuing tiata fahodzi’s 25th anniversary commitment to investing in the future of African heritage artists and giving voice to their contemporary world by making cheeky little brown as accessible as possible.
Akunna said: ‘cheeky little brown is an ode to your early twenties, a second coming of age, an aesthetically pleasing panic attack. It’s a story about a young woman’s resistance to change in the people and the city she calls home, and ultimately her journey toward a new beginning.’
Chinonyerem Odimba added: ‘At tiata fahodzi, we believe that creating work that is accessible to all audiences is an important part of our work. We are so grateful to The Space for the collaboration, and for giving us an opportunity to continue our commitment to audiences that cannot always make it to a theatre, or don’t feel theatre buildings are comfortable experiences by bringing cheeky little brown to screen.
We hope audiences will laugh, cringe and party along with Lady in the funny, heartfelt piece of new writing by Nkenna Akunna’
Fiona Morris, CEO and Creative Director of The Space, said: ‘The Space is delighted to have supported tiata fahodzi in the filming of cheeky little brown with Bristol Old Vic. The piece playfully brings the work to life for digital audiences using split screen and on-screen song lyrics in a vibrant live stage capture. It will provide an important opportunity for under-represented audiences to watch the production and enable tiata fahodzi to continue building their audiences locally, nationally and internationally.’
Following a successful UK premiere tour co-produced by Bristol Old Vic and Belgrade Theatre in Autumn 2023, and a critically-acclaimed London premiere at Stratford East in Spring 2024, cheeky little brown is available to stream until 2 November.
