Lamesha Ruddock
“Do you know how hard it is to make truly Black satire?”
Grifting is a razor-sharp and wickedly funny exploration of ego and the uneasy architecture of Black British fame. Written by Kwesi Sekyi and directed by Gloria Akpoke, the play follows Oscar Ward, a once-beloved comedian turned right wing radio host. Jake Bryan-Amaning delivers a magnetic and chaotic performance, embodying a man who ricochets between swagger and insecurity as he clings to relevance.
We first encounter Oscar being pampered by his makeup artist, his Hoxton-esque accent echoing through the room. He jokes about slipping into his mother’s Caribbean voice, despite being Ghanaian, setting the tone for the production’s bold interrogation of identity and the messy collisions within Black British culture. Oscar is a shapeshifter, bending himself into whatever form will get him booked or listened to, even as the contortions threaten to break him.
Bisola, played with sharp focus and determination by Esther M. Stephen, asks Oscar to help her write jokes for a Black music award show. Their partnership becomes the spine of the play. Through their exchanges, we witness the exhausting negotiations required to survive an industry that expects Black creatives to package themselves into tidy, profitable narratives. Oscar’s past haunts him, particularly through Jerome, his former cast mate played by Michael G. Lee. Jerome’s fury is volcanic, and when he spits out the word “grifter,” it slices through the theatre.
Oscar’s desperation for a contract renewal from Big Talk Radio fuels much of the tension. Clever video design transforms the stage into a radio studio, positioning Oscar between two faceless white commentators, played by Isabella Thompson and Tom Rainn. The image is unsettling. Oscar has become the marketable Black voice of conservative Britain, flanked by figures who use him as both shield and spectacle. His appropriation of MLE, his casual slipping into Patois, and his mining of Black music for cultural capital highlight how easily exploitation becomes survival strategy.
The play deepens when Oscar’s private world emerges. Jerome appears in a stark top light, framed like a guest on a Melvyn Bragg style interview, offering a tender, painful contrast. Textured blue blankets and pillows then shift the space into Oscar’s living room, where Bisola lounges with her feet up, revealing their growing ease. Scenes with Oscar’s wife Yasmin, played by Sunneth Lawrence, peel back even more layers. His playful bravado dissolves the instant she exits, leaving behind a man hollowed out by resentment and fear.
Sekyi’s writing cuts with precision, Akpoke’s direction builds a compelling world and the chemistry between Bryan-Amaning and Stephen anchors the piece with humour and heart.
Grifting is biting, brilliant and unmissable. It is satire at its finest.
Performances of Grifting have now concluded at Voila! Theatre Festival 2025.
Jake Mace
Jasmine Silk
