Collected here are three plays written over four decades that take an unflinching look at life in postcolonial Jamaica.
Cumper began writing plays when she was in her twenties. Reviews of her contribution to black theatre are included in publications by Oxford University Press, Heinemann and Collins. Cumper’s plays have often been called ‘theatre of the people’. When she first moved to Britain, she struggled to have her work shown, despite winning four awards by this point in the Caribbean. Cumper has since been commissioned by Carib Theatre Company, Talawa Theatre Company, The Royal Court, Blue Mountain Theatre, BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
Patricia Cumper is an award winning playwright, producer, director, arts administrator and cultural leader who led Talawa Theatre Company for six years as Artistic Director and CEO. She was awarded an MBE for services to Black British theatre. She is a passionate advocate for the arts and is an experienced and highly articulate cultural commentator who has worked in radio for more than twenty years as a writer, contributor and presenter. Cumper’s radio adaptation of The Colour Purple won a silver Sony Award.