Theatre
Interview
How the cast and creators of Retrograde brought Sidney Poitier’s story to the stage
We chat to the team behind the new play heading to the Apollo Theatre
Ryan Calais Cameron’s previous play, For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy, made him one of the most sought-after young writing talents in London. His latest work to head to the West End is something very different – a glimpse into the life and work of Sidney Poitier, as the young actor contemplates a decision that could change his career. On paper, it’s a less personal creation, but Cameron found plenty to relate to in Poitier.
“The more I learnt about Sydney and what he had been through, the more I could see that there were a lot of parallels to me, probably 10, 15 years before he was even where he got to in this play,” says Cameron. “It was more about the certain themes I wanted to talk about that I felt were really relevant to what we were going through right here, today. I felt that if I could really hone in on those kind of things, then this play would feel like it’s mine, and like it’s giving voice to the things that I care about.”
Retrograde follows three characters: Sidney, his friend Bobby, and film exec Mr Parks. In an office in Hollywood, Sidney is given a choice – compromise his principles and sign a career-changing contract, or walk away.
“On a technical level, the fact that it’s 90 minutes straight through, and it’s played in real time, is an interesting challenge,” says Oliver Johnstone, who plays Bobby. “You can’t go, “I’m a bit dodgy in scene one, but I really nail it in scene three.” You have to quite delicately chart this character arc, which takes place in real time. There’s no hiding.”
Retrograde presents other challenges for its cast, namely for lead actor Ivanno Jeremiah in creating a version of Sidney Poitier that feels separate from the monolith.
“He was pretty hard to find,” says Jeremiah. “In terms of accessing him, there was a book called This Life, a biography, one of three that he wrote in his life. That’s where you got the sort of burps and farts, the struggles of living homeless, and it really helped me key into the person. They were so recognisable, some of his struggles: being in and out of work, running a family, stuff like that.”
“My character, Bobby, is loosely based on a real guy from Sidney’s life,” says Johnstone. “There are certain aspects of the story where things have been bent a little bit in order to suit the narrative structure of the play, rightly so. I’ve taken bits from the real Robert Alan Arthur’s life, and I’ve kind of fused it with my own version of who I think Bobby is. I’ve never had to do that before, so that’s been a fun challenge. It’s nice – I can go to a biography of someone and cherry pick things that might be handy, or I can say, “No, I think actually he’d be like this.” That’s been satisfying.”
Meanwhile, for Stanley Townsend who plays Mr Parks, the biggest challenge has been in “getting behind a character that I don’t share beliefs with.”
“I can’t judge my guy,” he says. “There’s a tension in me about that, you know. I know that the more I get behind him, the more I humanise him, the more interesting the play is. But then I’m getting in behind a set of values that are really uncomfortable.”
“There’re some beliefs held around that time in the 50s that are explored in this play that are tough to reckon with,” adds Johnstone. “But we have to, because that’s our job.”
Director Amit Sharma was immediately excited by the material. “It was a page turner,” he says. “I got to the end and… even remembering it, I feel the tingles, because it was just so incredible. I emailed the artistic director at the time and I just said, ‘This is an incredible play. Is there a director attached?’ hoping that there wasn’t.”
What struck Sharma the most was Retrograde’s ability to speak to the current culture. “It’s a play that’s set in the period of time that it’s set in, but what really came across to me is how relevant it was today, and how much it spoke to the battles and the fires raging literally right now… That’s testament to Ryan and his writing, but it’s also testament to having an icon like Sidney who did the work that he wanted to do because he couldn’t do anything else that made him feel uncomfortable. That’s so deeply admirable.”
“Working with Amit has been amazing,” says Johnstone. “He’s a man full of play, and it creates an incredibly playful atmosphere in the room. He’s very mischievous. He keeps winding you up. That’s really tickled us and lightened us, because it’s quite heavy. I have to be careful, because I have to remember, I’m playing a lawyer, but at the same time, having that lightness and playfulness has been a joy.”
“I think that’s what helps us not only explore the work and feel brave enough to step into this kind of material, but also to bounce off each other and ask, like, “Is this cool?”” adds Jeremiah.
Poitier is remembered for his extraordinary body of work, but also for the walls that he broke down. The first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, he spent a great deal of the early portion of his career as the only African American voice in many important rooms. The play approaches his story with humour and levity, but themes of racism, representation and the cost of progress are never far away. Still, it’s something that Sharma believes should be considered as secondary to the story.
“I’ve been telling these type of stories for many, many years as a director, as an actor,” he says. “Stories that deal with really complex issues – I’ve done them for a really, really long time. The battle is with those people who have more power, who decide whether something goes into production or not. It’s about getting them over the line. I think it’s heavy for them, but for me, I read the play, and it felt like a perfect play to go into the West End with, to tell this story to a much wider audience, because of the way it’s been written, but also who it’s been written about. There are many, many stories from our communities that don’t get told because [there’s a worry that audiences will ask themselves] if it’s going to be relevant to them. For me, that doesn’t even come into my head. The story is the thing.”
Cameron agrees. “How do you describe Sidney and where he came from, what he did, the transformational nature of his story?” he asks. “I mean, the fact that we’re here in the UK telling a story about him is testament to the universality of fighting, of not accepting second best, and of trying to actually change the world.”
Retrograde opens at the Apollo Theatre on 8 March – find your tickets here
