Paapa Essiedu absolutely dazzles in this vulnerable and heartfelt production. Written by Clint Dyer and Roy Williams, ‘Death of England: Delroy’ is a stark look at systemic racism and white supremacy in England, using humour and craftsmanship to tell the story of the worst day of Delroy’s life.

I struggle not to spend most of this review praising Paapa Essiedu, who carried this play with a rawness and vulnerability that was staggering. At times, I forgot this was a one person show as Essiedu effortlessly slips between portraying Delroy’s family members and loved ones. Delroy is acutely aware and unaware of his internalised white supremacy. He plays by the rules, but ultimately, he is faced with the realisation that you can never win in a rigged system. The play revealed the violent nature of the so-called UK justice system, showing that even if you keep your head down, the system can still come for you. In one of many powerful scenes Delroy breaks down while being held in police custody, in disbelief that he has become, ‘finally I was just a number, another black man who got fucked by the police, finally I was another hapless victim to this class/colour bullshit!’.

Paapa Essiedu in Death of England Delroy at @sohoplace, Credit Helen Murray

What I loved about this play is that it didn’t shy away from making the audience uncomfortable. We start with Essiedu recalling a white man taking the knee in front of him to fit his electronic tag, he likens this to activist and football player Colin Kaepernick. He asks us if we know what he’s on about? When met with silence, he chastises us, ‘You’d have to be the biggest tosser in the world not to know, right.’ A final climatic point has differing sections of the audience becoming the Jury or Judge in Delroy’s trial, forcing us from spectators to actors in this play. The direct addresses to the audience are integral to discussing racism in Britain, we should not sit and feel comfortable while faced with these troubling truths.

The sound and lighting design by Jackie Shemesh carry us through the story; with startling flashes and abrupt noises, the audience is not allowed to fully relax, waiting for the next shock, echoing the shocks and trials faced by Delroy as he desperately tries to reach his girlfriend giving birth to their first child. Designer Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and ULTZ, creates a red St. George’s cross as the stage. Scribbled with equations written in passion by Delroy, and revealed to be nothing more than a paper cover as Delroy rips up the red of the cross revealing the black floor beneath, the façade of England is revealed to be paper thin. Williams’ and Dyer’s writing is equally effortless and conversational as it is powerful, and often very funny. They strike a beautiful balance of English humour that can often be used to hide the pain underneath. Dyer’s direction is flawless, and combined with Essiedu’s performance, this play is extraordinary, and at a time like this, absolutely vital.

🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 5/5 Moons