Grand Theatre To Celebrate Windrush Day With Self Produced Film Of Local Windrush Stories!

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is to celebrate Windrush Day with an exclusive screening of Wolverhampton Grand Theatre's first ever self-produced film A JOYOUS JAMAICAN CONVERSATION, an in-conversation celebration of Jamaica's Windrush Generation at Light House Cinema.

The film will be screened on Windrush Day, Wednesday 22 June and shows a roundtable discussion hosted by Tonia Daley-Campbell featuring the personal memories of respected local resident Mr Reuben Campbell, who arrived in Wolverhampton from Jamaica in 1962 to forge a new life, which included running the city's Rising Star Club.

In his 60 years settled in the UK, Mr Campbell had never been to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, despite a huge love of music and theatre. It took the programming of Rush Theatre Company's RUSH - A Joyous Jamaican Journey in November 2021 to entice him through the doors of the Grand.

The film evolved from conversations sparked by and prior to the sell-out performance of RUSH - A Joyous Jamaican Journey. Mr Campbell was joined on film by Rush Theatre Company's Artistic Director Owen Miller from Handsworth, Birmingham and company members Ken 'Dread' McLean and Orvil Pinnock, who share their parents' stories and their own memories of growing up within the Jamaican community in the Midlands.

Head of Programming & Production Co-Ordinator, Tim Hession said; "Through the programming of shows such as RUSH we are able to widen the Grand Theatre's appeal within our local community. Our community is full of rich culture and diverse stories and we are passionate about giving platforms to those stories, Mr Campbell's is one that we are incredibly proud to share, particularly on such a significant day as Windrush Day. We can't wait to premiere A Joyous Jamaican Conversation at Light House Cinema."

A JOYOUS JAMAICAN CONVERSATION highlights the story of a generation of seemingly ordinary people with extraordinary life stories to share, stories of being invited to leave Jamaica to help build a better Britain, of receiving houses and pardners, of hard work and success, of resilience and faith, and of joyous social gatherings and the sights, sounds and flavours of life in Jamaican family homes.

Heart warming, honest and uplifting A JOYOUS JAMAICAN CONVERSATION is a celebration of those who arrived from Jamaica and settled locally, and who in the course of changing their own lives, made a contribution that changed British life forever.

Tickets to A JOYOUS JAMAICAN CONVERSATION are now on sale at grandtheatre.co.uk.

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