Barber Shop Chronicles

by Inua Ellams

Barber Shop Chronicles is a generously funny, heart-warming and insightful new play set in five African cities, Johannesburg, Harare, Kampala, Lagos, Accra, and in London.Inspired in part by the story of a Leeds barber, the play invites the audience into a unique environment where the banter may be barbed, but the truth always telling. The barbers of these tales are sages, role models and father figures who keep the men together and the stories alive.

Genres: Plays, Contemporary, Drama, Fiction, Nigeria, Read For School, British Literature

64 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2017

Reviews

[Nat K · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting is the barber's chair. The city is Lagos, London, Accra, Kampala, J'Burg*, Harrare...

The barber shop is the "man cave", where not only is hair cut and beards trimmed, but where blokes chew the fat. Free to be themselves. They discuss politics, family, fatherhood, football **, language, culture & (of course) women. Masculinity and what it means to be a man. No holds barred.

"We grow up to become our fathers."

Opinions often clash. Relationships fester. Other times they're in agreement. They have the ubiquitous "...three men in a bar..." joke. The Chelsea v Barcelona clash is a hot topic across the continents.

But behind the overall humour, we catch glimpses of the men's backgrounds. Flashes of discontentment which show how the men really feel. Are they comfortable in their own skin? Should they be?

The men are of all ages and from various ethnic backgrounds, a beautiful melting pot, which adds to the conversations. I didn't understand everything that was said, as it was in the patois/pidgin spoken word. But that simply added to the truthfulness of it.

I'd imagine this would be great to see performed on stage. That would bring the text to life, with the nuances of the various accents. There's a lot to think about with this one. Lots of issues are raised.

" And in the gym, I see guys pumping, tryna look like muscular black rappers, asking themselves 'Am I man yet?... Who am I?... Am I a BLACK man? Am I STRONG black man? What's strong mean?'

I'm going nuts uncle."

C'mon folks, read this! Reading something in a play format isn't that different to reading a book.

* J'Burg = Johannesburg
** football = soccer

[m.・゜゜・・゜゜・． · Rating 5 out of 5]

a lot to be said about sam’s insecurity and struggle with his identity

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick re-read to make sure I want this one on my syllabus for the coming semester, and of course I do! Will a bunch of Texas college students understand all of the nuances? No, certainly not - but there's a universality to Ellams' themes and theories around masculinity and healing generational trauma that I think they will understand on a deep, deep level. This is one that I'm very excited to integrate into my World Lit. course curriculum!

[Semi-Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched this play on National Theatre at Home during COVID-19 Lockdown to itch my theatre going bug and although I wish I could of seen it in person during its original tour, I really loved watching it even from home. I felt alienated from in jokes and cultural references in the best way, similarly to Nine Night, it didn’t feel like it was for me as a white person, it felt like a true fly on the wall experience, a celebration of culture and stories. Joyous and filled with passion and energy, the moments of dance and music between transitions felt like a celebration of the text. Read the play or if you can catch it online, do it!

[cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expected the play to feel hurried and scattered because of its many settings, but I didn't find that to be true at all.

Watched the Fuel and Leeds Playhouse production.

[namatayi · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredible play!!

reading this for my gender, sexuality and ethnicity in theatre class and it’s just perfect. talks about masculinity and politics. the people’s response to the corrupt government. it’s beautiful how the same conversations transcend country and time.

i watched this in the theatre maybe three years ago and when i watched it i was still in secondary school. it felt like when youre at a party and the uncles and grandparents are in one room smoking and drinking beer and guinness and you don’t really understand the conversations but youre just happy to be in the room. but now reading it as a university student with the full context and knowledge of what they’re talking about. i think about my grandad each time i hear about this play. he is who i watched it with (alongside my mum, nan and aunt) just a brilliant play cannot wait to talk about it in class tomorrow!!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting play that explores masculinity, racism, fatherhood, apartheid, and male friendships one of the most sacrosanct black male spaces there is - the barbershop.

Loved the fact that the story travels - we get perspectives spanning regions from London to Lagos. It also explores the complexities of the black experience - Caribbean, West, East and South Africans all interact in one space and share their experiences with each other. The script is also very colloquial and natural - the characters are presented in their full and complex forms.

Only negative is that by shifting across geographical regions, what we get in breadth, we lack in depth of story.

Keen to see the play acted out - it promises to be an entertaining and delightful experience!

[EJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book wove together so many different storylines so artfully. You got glimpses into the lives of Black men in different countries in Africa and London and how they had similar hopes, dreams, struggles, and thoughts about life and family and "being men" despite different circumstances. How brilliant to connect them all through a soccer match and the barber shop. I enjoyed reading the play all the more because I was able to watch the National Theatre production that they streamed during the pandemic. I definitely would want to see this performed in person and could reread again.

[Marie-Louise Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars. Read it for uni. I really enjoyed this book/manuscript. The storylines were beautifully interwoven and you got a glimpse into the lives of different African men as well as their differences

[Ollie Rumsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A play which is humorous on the surface but addresses sensitive issues like race and masculinity. The story takes place across 6 cities within different black barber shops and it explores how they are a kind of sanctuary where people go to unwind and be themselves.

[Steve Mayer · Rating 3 out of 5]

As confusing to read as it was to watch.

[Dion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and educational.

[Dana Elizabeth]

No rating bc I’m reading it for uni, but this is a very nice play.

[Liv Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

would like to see this performed live!

[Pria]

by far the best thing the national theatre live has ever broadcasted

[Niamh · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for uni

[Sira Valladares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parenthood can be difficult. Forgiveness, role models, jokes, language, motherland, mother tongue, motherhood, friends, opportunities in another countries.

Camels !

[rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg i love reading plays soooooooooo much u guys

[Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super interesting and powerful commentary on manhood and manliness, and also colonialism and identity, idk a lot to unpack, I’ll def read it again.

[jazzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ellams should be involved with the english language a level curriculum

[Tiggy Tooze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking of teaching for coursework and it will be a good text for that as quite overtly political and lots of context to be researched. Wish I had seen it on stage!

[Wei Han · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, it really is a modern theatrical triumph. Ellams writes with so much attention and humor and heart and empathy and confidence. It gets away with its unusual structure because of the level of craft involved and the portrayal of (unfortunately) underrepresented voices across the diaspora. The way he writes about masculinity!!! I've seen this play once live at the ART and once on the National Theatre stream before finally reading it all the way through, but I will never get bored of this play.