Samskara (NHB Modern Plays)

By Lanre Malaolu

Four generations of black men are trying to understand themselves in a world which tells them they have to be strong.
Inspired by real-life testimony and told through an explosive fusion of text, physical theatre and hip-hop dance, Samskara explores vulnerability, emotional trauma and how cycles of fathering affect masculinity. Moving through joy and suffering, laughter and longing, this soul-baring odyssey untangles what it means to be a black man in twenty-first-century Britain.
Samskara premiered at The Yard Theatre, London, in November 2021, written, directed and choreographed by award-winning artist Lanre Malaolu.
'Lanre Malaolu has a light touch on heavyweight subjects. His sharp, naturalistic script switches between laugh-out-loud comedy, personal psychology and social comment to address black masculinity in the 21st century... powerful, moving, rich and straight-talking... Malaolu is a real talent, and Samskara deserves a wide audience' - Guardian
'An outburst of a show... an achingly moving 90 minutes that questions whether Black men must be strong to be valued... Samskara feels current and raw... A triumph in its frank unpicking of the male psyche, it masters the experience of being an equally joyful and painful watch' - The Stage
'Undulating between naturalistic dialogue, mesmerising physical storytelling, and genuinely laugh-out-loud moments... Samskara is at once a deliciously joyful and hard-hitting watch' - Exeunt

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Release date: Nov 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781788505048

Lanre Malaolu

Lanre Malaolu is a director, choreographer and writer working across theatre and film. His work includes: Samskara (Yard Theatre, 2021); and Elephant in the Room (Camden People's Theatre, transferring to the Roundhouse, Camden, 2019); His hybrid dance-documentary film The Circle had its world premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest and was acquired by The Guardian in 2020. His film The Conversation was selected for the BAFTA recognized Aesthetica film festival, winning the Best Dance Film award. He was the choreographer for British Council film Dear Mr Shakespeare (Sundance Film Festival 2017).

Book preview

‘Keep It Tight and Keep Going’

Our first collective movement sequence, underscored by DRUMMER.

During this, we will see fragments of what these men hold… their pain.

We’ll also see moments of collective joy, as well as the unspoken, yet universal, interpersonal black male physicality.

The sequence crescendos with the ensemble and SILENT MAN marching together, in sync. They start to move backwards towards the seats, while SILENT MAN goes towards the outskirts of the space. He’s still within the circle of soil, but closer to DRUMMER. He sits on the floor.

The rest of the ensemble sit on the chairs, taking us into…

‘Why Is Your Leg Touching Me Fam?!’

The men are pretty up-close, arms touching and whatnot. After a beat, YOUNG BUCK shifts, nudging FATHER’s leg, which slightly touches his. This could be so subtle we think it’s just the performer shifting.

FATHER shifts position, trying to create more space for himself and nudges YOUNG BUCK by accident (on purpose…) along the way.

This builds and builds as FATHER and YOUNG BUCK try to physically top the other to create more space for themselves. Opening legs wider, stretching arms across, etc. Light and humorous.

The other characters notice the commotion every now and then, but other than that, continue to look