Apphia Campbell Archives - North West End UK

Through the Mud – Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

6Nov

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

Through the Mud – Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh

Extraordinary! The first word to come out of my lips after this exceptional performance. From the creators of ‘Black is the colour of my voice’, comes a powerful new story about the experiences of two African American women separated by 42 years, but suffering the same racial discrimination living as citizens in the, supposed, Land of the Free. Written and performed by Apphia Campbell and co-produced by Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and Stellar Quines, Through The Mud is a re conceived version of Woke, the one-woman play which won Campbell a Scotsman Fringe First Award in 2017. Although I never saw Woke, changing this from a one-woman to a two-woman play looks to have been a very inspired idea indeed. Alongside the seasoned Campbell, is the excellent Tinashe Warikandwa playin...

Black is the Color of my Voice – Pleasance at EICC

Amazing. Brilliant. Such an expanse of energy. These are some of the comments I heard on leaving the theatre. For myself the rapture began less than one minute in. The hairs, not just on my arms, but on my scalp, stood on end as our protagonist call “Daddy!” Why? I’m not sure. It must have been the emotional intensity. I knew this was going to press buttons and make me bleed. In a good way. Apphia Campbell has a powerful voice: a fitting tribute to Nina Simone, but, more than that, this woman can act. She knows about pace and tension and pathos and immersion. It is a beautiful piece of theatre. Scripted to perfection by Campbell, this is a don't miss piece for lovers of Nina Simone and all theatre goers who admire true commitment and emotional frankness. For me, I knew little of ...

Black Is The Color Of My Voice – Stream.Theatre

The tragic murder of George Floyd last year in Minneapolis brought race back to the centre of the stage of American politics. It gave rise to the Black Lives Matter campaign, a movement echoing the civil rights protests of the 1960s led by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Nina Simone, the inspiration for this wonderful one woman play, was part of that civil rights movement writing Mississippi Goddam in response to the murder of Medgar Evers in 1963 and the bombing of a church that killed four young black girls. She spoke at rallies and marches demanding change. Frustrated by Dr King’s non-violent approach she felt the movement should violently retaliate instead. This skilfully handled monologue is no polemic though, concentrating mainly on the relationship between the singer and her father...