A free event centred around the Windrush generation which aims to educate and engage residents across Ealing to celebrate the history and resilience of those who came from the Caribbean to the UK in 1948 is taking place at Ealing’s Questors Theatre on Sunday.
Mr Windrush:Sam King and Sounds of Windrush is for all ages and is a day of education and entertainment taking place on 23 July 2023 at the beloved theatre in Matlock Lane opposite Walpole Park.
The day starts at 2.30pm with the launch of Sam King Teaching Resources. This features interactive learning sessions with people including Arthur Torrington, Alexander D Great and WAPPY Youth to discover more about Sam King and Windrush. Sam King, who himself arrived on Windrush was the co-founder of the Windrush Foundation and first Black Mayor of Southwark as well as serving as an engineer in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War.
This is followed by the Sounds of Windrush, a theatre production starting at 6:00 PM. Written by Mervyn Weir, the show us described as weaving “a tale of national identity and resilience” and there is live music from John Mclean & Zaine Band and the Liberty Singers.
Southall-based Mervyn Weir, himself a child of the Windrush generation and who spent his early years growing up in the Caribbean told EALING.NEWS about how his production came together.
How long did it take you to write Sounds of Windrush?Hard to say how long it took to write as the writing wasn’t a linear process done without interruption of life and other activities but I started the writing last year promoted by the 60th anniversary of Jamaican Independence.
When 2023 dawned as the 75the anniversary of the Windrush arrival, I knew we had to do something significant to mark the occasion.
What does it mean to you to have it being performed at Questors?Although ours will be the last show in Questors before it is refurbished, it is nonetheless a special and magical place to put on this performance. Not many boroughs have a community theatre with such a rich and varied programme. As a resident of Ealing for many years, this is my gift to the borough to make the first showing freely available to my local borough.
Additionally, this is the premier outing of the production is part of a special Windrush Heritage Day which starts with the launch of the brand new learning resources produced by the Windrush Foundation that celebrate the life of Sam King, the man most responsible for ensuring the legacy of the Windrush is preserved.
What do you hope audiences will get from it?
The story traces the long relationship between Britain and the Caribbean, but told through the lens of Jamaica, because of that island’s extraordinary contribution to music and culture which has significantly impacted the diverse Britain of today. I hope that the combination of drama, singing and music to tell this amazing timely and relevant story educate and entertain the audience in equal measure.
Tickets which are free can be pre-booked on Eventbrite
