Theatre / Stan's Cafe
‘Community Service’: theatre bringing together 80s policing and gospel guitar
Now into its fourth decade, Birmingham-based Stan’s Cafe are a theatre-making and artist collective brought together by artistic director James Yarker.
They are now touring with Community Service, a new ‘gospel-powered’ production inspired by the true story of Trevor Prince, a Black police officer working in the West Midlands in the 1980s.
The narrative takes place against a backdrop of civic unrest, social division, the Handsworth Riots and miner’s strikes, and the casual racism that became synonymous with Thatcher’s Britain.
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As well as being amongst the first Black police officers in the region, Trevor is a talented gospel guitarist on the rise, whose band has gained the attention of record companies. But in personal as well as professional terms, he has many challenges to face.
Community Service – artwork: Stan’s Cafe
Even in his local Pentecostal church, generational tensions emerge as the younger members of the congregation rebel against their strict immigrant parents, listening to secular music on the radio.
As well as reggae and Motown funk, Trevor’s emotional and often funny story is underpinned by a vibrant soundtrack of gospel; his younger brother Ray Prince provided gospel consultation on the project.
Devised and performed by Reisz Amos, Yasmin Dawes, Kianyah Caesar-Downe and Dominic Thompson, the show is co-directed by Amos and Yarker, along with Paul Steadman, who comments: “Trevor’s life has inspired us to make a show that is about duty, and loyalty, and the law, and identity, and community, and music, and police – it’s very rich!”
Amos cites his involvement in the production as an honour. “As a member of the Black creative workforce,” he says, “I feel it is vital to see ourselves, our battles, our losses, our resilience and our triumphs, reflected on stage, and coming from authentic voices!”
Community Service is at Tobacco Factory Theatres on April 23-27 at 7.30pm, with additional 2pm matinee shows on Thursday and Saturday. Tickets are available at www.tobaccofactorytheatres.com. For more information, visit http://stans.cafe or follow @stanscafe.
All photos: Stan’s Cafe
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