The Death of a Black Man

At least I am my own boss. No regrets. I choose what I do. I am lucky. It’s 1973 and the West Indies have spectacularly beaten England at their own game, in their own backyard. Shakie, an 18-year old super-savvy wheeler-dealer, is in his element – and not just because of the cricket. Life is good: his furniture business is making serious money and he owns a flat on the King’s Road, the epicentre of everything that’s cool. Moreover, his best friend Stumpie has come up with a plan to crack the booming music industry together - the possibilities are endless so when Shakie’s ex-lover Jackie arrives at the Chelsea flat, the trio toast the future. The champagne is flowing and ambition is running sky high - but how far will they go, and who will they sacrifice, in their quest to be rich beyond their wildest dreams? The Death of a Black Man received its world premiere at Hampstead in 1975. 46 years on, Alfred Fagon’s darkly compelling drama, with its witty and complex characters, remains compulsive viewing today.