Nine Night

by Natasha Gordon

Family, food, music and mourning.

Gloria is gravely sick. When her time comes, the celebration begins; the traditional Jamaican Nine Night wake. But for Gloria's children and grandchildren, marking her death with a party that lasts over a week is a test. Nine nights of music, food, sharing stories – and an endless parade of mourners.

Natasha Gordon's debut play Nine Night is a touching and very funny exploration of the rituals of family. It was premiered at the National Theatre, London, in April 2018, directed by Roy Alexander Weise. The production transferred to the Trafalgar Studios in the West End in December 2018.

Nine Night won Natasha Gordon the Most Promising Playwright Awards at the 2018 Evening Standard Theatre Awards and the 2018 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards.

Genres: Plays, Drama

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2018

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite plays I've seen/read recently. I thought it was absolutely brilliant in its portrayal of a family working through grief, surrounded by different traditions and generations who believed and felt different things. It was funny and extremely moving. I saw it in the West End before I read it.

[Michelle McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this on stage at the Trafalgar Studios and enjoyed every minute. I laughed all the way through reading this script despite some of the sadness in the story. Excellently drawn characters, every one.

[Ellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one that I know I would've enjoyed more by seeing it on the stage. I've found then when reading plays, although they are quick reads, I enjoy spending time with the text, unpicking the dialogue and doing the work to figure out how each character might be feeling without the visual aid of the stage.

However, this time I would have preferred a performance. Some of the characters blurred together for me and it was difficult to track some conversations, and I think the humour would play out a lot better on stage.

I was interested in Sophie and Robert, Anita and Lorraine, but cared less about the older characters. I'm not particularly interested in narratives about tradition.

[Jess Barbour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this play so much! I saw it at Leeds Playhouse, and was so taken I watched it twice more at the theatre. Describes the grief process so heat wrenchingly, can’t wait for it to be put on again in london.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched this play during it's original run. I love all the characters and the ending was so powerful on stage. Not a dry eye in the house. Was great to read the script again - my memories of the play were brought to life again.

[Betheliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A plaintively moving yet also very funny play with lots of belly laughs. I particularly liked:“Mi birthday is September 13th. Not the 12th And me f***ing hate sponge cake.”

[Rosamund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play is tremendously funny but also effective in depicting the way a death exposes the tensions in family relationships.

[Ayọ̀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I saw this in person! Still a great read, nonetheless. There were so many laugh out loud moments and so much to this family’s dynamics that I wish I could sit longer with them. Loved it!

[2TReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful read that brought us back home into familial territory that we found true to form and culture.

[Anastasia Hale · Rating 4 out of 5]

In her play "Nine Night," Natasha Gordon portrays the unique cultural and communal strength rooted in a British-Jamaican family who come together in a time of grief to commemorate and celebrate the deceased – their mother and cousin Gloria. The play seeks to uphold Jamaican traditions and rituals, meantime, portraying the generational gap among the relatives who were born and raised in Britain and have different ways to cope with grief. As the title points out, it is a tradition for Jamaicans to spend nine nights with the deceased, which is a gathering of family and friends, eating, singing, reciting poetry, dancing, and celebrating their life. While the play is dedicated to Jamaican culture, it is also a universal story many cultures can relate to.

"Nine Night" is funny and heartwarming; it allows readers to reflect on their family and lost loved ones. The play made me laugh and feel the pain of loss at the same time. It helped me further understand the importance of letting go and preserving the memory of a loved one. "Nine Night" is a therapy for the soul; it teaches families to work through grief together and surround themselves with strong cultural, traditional, and generational beliefs.

[kate slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Pip Wip · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it for a seminar at uni and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Could see it very much play out in my family like this. Definitely one of my better reads this year!

[Fahad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember seeing this at the NT. Felt a lot more average reading it. Not sure if there was a greater moral or plot in this story.