Tambo & Bones

by Dave Harris

Tambo and Bones are stuck in a minstrel show. It's hard to know what's real when you're stuck in a minstrel show. Their escape plan: get out, get rich, get even.

A daring theatrical exploration of the intersection of race, capitalism and performance, Dave Harris's play Tambo & Bones laughs through our past, blows the roof off our present, and imagines an explosive future for our world and for theatre.

Tambo & Bones was commended in the 2019 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, and was first performed in a co-production between Playwrights Horizons, New York City, and Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles, in 2022. It was first produced in the UK in 2023 by Theatre Royal Stratford East, London, and Actors Touring Company, directed by Matthew Xia.

'In today's world, errybody got a story.
It's overwhelming. How! The humanity! O! Everywhere, someone appealing to yo sense of… empathy.'

Genres: Plays

96 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2023

Reviews

[Emily Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only is this play fantastic and thought provoking, but Harris has also created a reader experience for those reading the script. The stage directions add so much, and his voice really shines through.

[Lorma Doone · Rating 5 out of 5]

My #1 best and favorite experience in the theatre. A lovely reading experience as well. The playwright understands that stage directions can be art too.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can’t help but feel this play had a neat gimmick, an on the nose message, and yet nothing new to say that hasn’t already been said by better plays (I’m thinking of Pass Over by Antoinette Nwandu). The use of the robots felt clever at first, and there is a lot there to unpack about their meaning to the message, but then at some point, it felt lazy rather than earned. By the end, the playwright was definitely hoping we’d all be thinking about what he had to say in a certain way, but I walked away feeling like the overt nature of the message from the start of the show left me apathetic.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

„I am a real person“

Ich weiß nicht, ob ich überhaupt mental stabil genug wäre um das Stück live zu sehen, aber es ist so krass gut, clever und bewegend und heftig und ich weiß auch nicht. Keine Worte mehr

[Dobbs J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope mr. harris reads this. I really liked his play :).

[Tiana Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very funny read and watch.