A selection of contemporary dramas from leading Black playwright Rex Obano – plus bonus programme

Rex Obano has written for the stage, television, radio and film. His plays have twice been shortlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award and he received the Roland Rees Bursary in 2018. He is part of the writing team for the BBC Radio series Faith, Hope and Glory and his TV credits include Shakespeare & Hathaway. Included here are five of his acclaimed dramas, as well as a fascinating discussion programme, Black Tudors.

Lover’s Rock – 1981. Politicised by the legacy of the New Cross Fire, in which 13 people died, young Black pacifist Ben turns to activism. Alongside Monroe, an aspiring producer of ‘Lover’s Rock’ reggae, he finds himself at the sharp end of the Brixton Riots… Kobna Holdbrook-Smith stars as Ben, with Tobi Bakare as Monroe.

City College – When a university professor of Black history makes a controversial statement suggesting slavery never happened, a maelstrom ensues. Threatened with reprisals, he is forced to confront his hidden past. Rex Obano’s compelling drama about free speech stars Cyril Nri and Pippa Nixon.

As Innocent As You Can Get – Nathaniel and Tunde depend on each other – one guilty outside prison the other innocent within, one a prison psychologist, the other a prisoner convicted under ‘joint enterprise’. Freddie Fox and Paapa Essiedu star in this powerful urban drama, told in iambic pentameter rhyming couplets.

Burned to Nothing – Matthew has returned to his birthplace in Nigeria, to find his missing teenage son. But the police are also searching for Keith, who has become caught up in the politics of a turbulent land – a land he has fallen in love with. This gripping thriller stars Lucian Msamati, Jude Akuwudike, Lorraine Burroughs and David Ajala.

The Moors of England – It is the 16th Century, and Sir Robert Cecil is writing a proclamation to expel ‘blackamoors’ from England. So Cecil’s servant Fortunatus, a Black Muslim refugee, takes drastic action to change the course of history… Ray Fearon and John Heffernan star in this captivating drama about ambition and anarchy, introduced by historian and author Miranda Kaufmann.

Black Tudors – Rex Obano and Miranda Kaufmann discuss the history behind The Moors of England, exploring the genesis of the play and the real-life experiences of Black migrants in Elizabethan England.