J'Ouvert brings the Notting Hill Carnival experience to Nottingham's Theatre Royal

The Notting Hill Carnival has come to Nottingham’s Theatre Royal in a play written by Yasmin Joseph.

J’Ouvert is being staged at the venue until Saturday.

Starring Annice Boparai, Gabrielle Brooks and Sapphire Joy, it is set during the 2017 Notting Hill Carnival.

The streets of Notting Hill are alive with history and among the pulsating soca, dazzling colour, and endless sequins and feathers, Jade and Nadine are fighting for space in a world they thought was theirs.

A timely reflection on the Black British experience and sexual politics of the carnival, J’Ouvert is described as a hilarious and fearless story of two best friends, battling to preserve tradition in a society where women’s bodies are frequently under threat.

J’Ouvert was originally performed as part of the RE:EMERGE season at the Harold Pinter Theatre, which gave fresh talent the chance to work alongside some of the industry’s greatest theatre-makers and artists.

J’Ouvert is the debut play by London-based writer Yasmin Joseph.

It premièred at Theatre503 in 2019 and she was nominated for the Evening Standard’s most promising playwright award, and most recently won the 2020 James Tait Black prize for drama.

J’Ouvert has also been adapted for the screen as part of BBC Lights Up, a season of plays for BBC radio and television, produced in partnership with theatres across the UK.

Directed by Rebekah Murrell, the Theatre Royal performances are part of the venue’s season of socially-distanced shows.

It is suitable for those aged 14 and over.