Stage adaptation of Floella Benjamin’s autobiography Coming to England to visit Theatre Royal, Nottingham

A much-loved and award-winning book telling a tale from the Windrush generation has been adapted for the stage.

The UK tour of the stage adaptation of Floella Benjamin’s autobiography Coming to England will visit the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, from Tuesday, January 28, to Saturday, February 1.

A vibrant and energetic new play, Coming to England tells Floella’s personal story of moving to England in the 1960s and is a tale about determination and perseverance from which hope and triumph emerge during the Windrush Generation.

At the age of just 10, Floella and her siblings left Trinidad and sailed alone to join their parents in England. But Floella’s excitement for her new life is short-lived, with her family subjected to racism and intolerance in 1960s London.

Guided by her mother, and working twice as hard as her classmates, Coming to England tells the story of how a young Floella overcame adversity and grew to become Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham.

Baroness Floella Benjamin said: “Told from the perspective of a child, this heartfelt production uses music, dance, storytelling and drama to bring to life an inspirational Windrush journey about overcoming adversity and challenges through love, family unity and the feeling of belonging.

“Our cast and creative team bring with them a wealth of different experiences and skills, to a show that is packed full of lessons for families to engage with, all set to an upbeat soundtrack of fun musical numbers and songs. We can’t wait to bring Coming to England to audiences across the UK.”

Coming to England was published in hardback in October 1995 and has since been published as an educational edition and is being used to teach modern history in schools and universities, and has been adapted by David Wood OBE.