Review: The Architect, Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, London (Theatre)

Photography: David Levene

★★★★★

Red double decker bus - a familiar world South Londoners know and love.

On Friday I headed down to Deptford for The Artichtect, an immersive theatrical journey through time and a city conceived by Mojisola Adebayo, Roy Williams and Matthew Xia, and created with a collective of leading Black artists including Bola Agbaje, Dexter Flanders, Vanessa Macauley and XANA. Produced by Actors Touring Company and GDIF, in association with the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation. 

The Architect took place on a double decker bus, where the route began in Deptford (SE8) and ended in Woolwich (SE18). We step aboard to share that dream with him: a vision for a city of the future – a new way of existing. A blueprint that embraces everyone. It follows a 48-year-old Londoner of Caribbean heritage, who has fulfilled his life-long dream of becoming a builder of cities, a maker of dreams.  

Outside Brookmill pub is where it started; began with an amazing pre-show led by Dalumuzi Moyo and Omar Austin who both brought the energy. Then shortly we entered the bus and transported into a familiar world South Londoners know and love.

Along the way we encountered storytelling, different personalities we know, musicians, steel pan and runners from Stephen Lawrence athletics club - the Cambridge Harriers. For a South East Londoner like me, seeing this show pass through a place that holds sad memories  - it was beautiful to see this create new ones and new possiblites. 

One of the things that touched me the most was riding the route of Stephen’s last moments and passing his memorial - it was emotional. On one of the days - they didn’t have enough runners available from his local running club that he was a part, so the team asked local runners to run for Stephen and people pulled though! Hearing this melted my heart! A little boy also ran from the beginning of Well Hall Road, Eltham to the end. 

One of the final speechs from TFL Conductor - played by Llewella Gideon, was so empowering and touching, finishing at our last stop in Woolwich. The Architect is a powerful and innovative piece of storytelling about community, empathy and hope on the backdrop of South London.

A Black British story led by an incredbile ensemble cast. Bus 122. A South London thing. Thank you.

Continues until 10 September 2023

The Architect is An Actors Touring Company and Greenwich + Docklands International Festival co-production.