All stories by JN Benjamin on BroadwayStars

Sunday, February 8, 2026

'I don't have to create his legacy, I just have to protect it': Chadwick Boseman's widow Simone on grieving a global star " and guarding his by JN Benjamin

Black Panther made him a megastar, but in private the actor and his wife Simone Ledward Boseman were dealing with his terminal cancer diagnosis. In a rare interview, she talks about the shoc…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:31PM[SHARE]
Sunday, October 19, 2025

David Harewood returns to Othello: 'I don't just want to open the door but kick it down for the people behind me' by JN Benjamin

He first played Othello in 1997, when the role was still synonymous with white thespians 'blacking up'. Now, nearly three decades on, he, Chiwetel Ejiofor and other Black actors discuss how …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:18AM[SHARE]
Thursday, August 28, 2025

'Why do I know more about Rosa Parks than our history?": the musical bringing Britain's Black history to the stage by JN Benjamin

The story of the state's targeting of 70s activists has been turned into a musical exploring a fascinating and relatively unknown period. It is a love letter to our elders, says its writer "…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:32AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 20, 2020

Pass Over review at Kiln Theatre, London " 'frustratingly under-interrogated' by JN Benjamin

If you're offended by the 'N word,' this UK premiere of Antoinette Nwandu's 2017 play should be approached with extreme caution. In

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:54AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 17, 2020

The High Table review at Bush Theatre, London " 'places the beauty of black queer love centre stage' by JN Benjamin

In 2014, former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan signed the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, a move that not only banned same sex

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:35AM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Gift review at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London " 'arduous attempt to challenge perceptions' by JN Benjamin

Janice Okoh's latest play tells the story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, a black woman born a Yoruba princess in 19th-century Nigeria, who,

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:27PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, January 15, 2020

The Girl With Glitter in Her Eye review at the Bunker, London " 'promising, but underdeveloped' by JN Benjamin

The B-Sides series at the Bunker is a programme of work by emerging artists that runs alongside their flagship shows. The Girl

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:03AM[SHARE]
Monday, January 13, 2020

Scrounger review at Finborough Theatre, London " 'full of quiet fury' by JN Benjamin

Athena Stevens' latest play is full of quiet fury. Stevens plays the title role in this piece, based on her own experiences,

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:22AM[SHARE]
Thursday, December 5, 2019

Dick Whittington and His Cat review at Hackney Empire " 'it's everything you need right now' by JN Benjamin

This year's Hackney Empire panto " written and directed by local favourite Susie McKenna " is served with a twist. The 14th

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:53AM[SHARE]
Friday, November 15, 2019

Unknown Rivers review at Hampstead Theatre, London " 'tender and hopeful' by JN Benjamin

In West African mythology, Mami Wata is a water spirit that most commonly takes the form of half woman, half fish. She's

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:39PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Little Baby Jesus review at Orange Tree Theatre, London " 'a lyrical triptych' by JN Benjamin

Three youngsters, all alike in identity, on the asphalt of the school playground where they lay their scene. Joanne, Kehinde and Rugrat

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:18AM[SHARE]
Friday, October 18, 2019

For All the Women Who Thought They Were Mad review at Stoke Newington Town Hall " 'a balm' by JN Benjamin

To be a black woman in contemporary Britain is a lot. Our bodies are over-policed, exoticised and brutalised. Our minds are gaslighted

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:28AM[SHARE]
Friday, September 27, 2019

The Seven Ages of Patience review at Kiln Theatre, London " 'honesty, heart, humour and kindness' by JN Benjamin

This is a story about a place called Brent. It's a place of Turkish restaurants, African hairdressers and Jamaican takeaways. It's a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:34AM[SHARE]
Thursday, September 26, 2019

Anansi The Spider review at Unicorn Theatre, London " 'wonderfully imaginative' by JN Benjamin

Anansi the Spider is perhaps the most famous character in Afro-Caribbean folklore. He's loveable and wise, but he is also a mischief

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:20AM[SHARE]
Monday, September 9, 2019

Chiaroscuro review at Bush Theatre, London " 'a playful staging of Jackie Kay's play' by JN Benjamin

The word 'chiaroscuro' has a number of meanings; one of which is the quality of being veiled, or partly in shadow. Jackie

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:59AM[SHARE]
Thursday, September 5, 2019

Two Trains Running review at Royal and Derngate, Northampton " 'beautifully realised' by JN Benjamin

August Wilson's American Century Cycle is a collection of 10 plays each covering a different decade of the black American experience from

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:48AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Tobi Kyeremateng: 'It feels like I'm the honorary diversity officer for an industry' by JN Benjamin

The producer who launched the Black Ticket Project, an initiative providing free or discounted theatre tickets for young black people in London,

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Monday, August 12, 2019

This Is Black: Pyneapple/Teleportation at the Bunker, London " 'full of raw talent' by JN Benjamin

Black Women are the focus of the second of two double bills in Bunker Theatre's inaugural This Is Black Festival: black women

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:22AM[SHARE]
Thursday, July 25, 2019

Blues in the Night review at Kiln Theatre, London " 'Sharon D Clarke dazzles' by JN Benjamin

It's Chicago in the late 1930s and the area known as Black Metropolis has been ravaged by the Great Depression " though

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:07AM[SHARE]
Friday, July 19, 2019

Starved review at Hope Theatre, London " 'richly written and strikingly designed" by JN Benjamin

Lad and Lass are on the run " from what, it's never quite clear. They're living in a smelly squat, fighting about

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:32AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Strange Fruit review at Bush Theatre, London " 'an assured and affecting revival' by JN Benjamin

Errol Marshall wants to know himself. This overwhelming desire fuels a burning rage and consumes every fibre of his being. It's literally

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:56AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

One Night in Miami review at Nottingham Playhouse " 'superb performances' by JN Benjamin

If you don't know your American Civil Rights history, the idea that Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke, Jim Brown and Malcolm X were

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:02PM[SHARE]
Thursday, June 6, 2019

J'Ouvert review at Theatre503, London " 'gorgeously authentic' by JN Benjamin

The term "J'ouvert" comes from the French "jour ouvert" " literally, "day open" " a tradition that takes place at dawn at

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 10:17AM[SHARE]
Thursday, May 23, 2019

Hoard review at Arcola Theatre, London " 'a love letter to British Nigerians of the diaspora' by JN Benjamin

Rafi, Ami and Bili are sisters. They're independent women. They live their best lives. Their mother, Wura Bakare, is a hoarder. The

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:02AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Salt review at Royal Court Theatre " 'beautiful, moving reprisal' by JN Benjamin

The air is thick with the smell of incense. The Woman (Rochelle Rose) stands behind a wooden workbench. Directly above her head,

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:33PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, May 14, 2019

The Glass Menagerie review at Watford Palace Theatre " 'confusing reimagining of Tennessee Williams' play' by JN Benjamin

Tennessee Williams' memory play, The Glass Menagerie, contains many autobiographical elements. Williams' mother had a personality disorder and his sister was said

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:24AM[SHARE]
Thursday, May 2, 2019

Small Island review at National Theatre, London " 'wonderful performances, tone-deaf production' by JN Benjamin

In 2009, the Guardian named Small Island one of the defining books of the decade. It tells the story of the arrival

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 06:03AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, May 1, 2019

The Half God of Rainfall review at Kiln Theatre, London " 'a sublime tribute to the African art of storytelling' by JN Benjamin

Demi is half Nigerian mortal and half child of a Greek deity. The bastard child of Zeus, he grew up to possess

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 11:25AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 30, 2019

The Amber Trap review at Theatre503, London " 'intriguing but underdeveloped' by JN Benjamin

Young lovers Katie (Olivia Rose Smith) and Hope (Fanta Barrie) are about to celebrate their second anniversary. They still work in the

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 08:06AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Mary's Babies review at Jermyn Theatre, London " 'a fascinating story' by JN Benjamin

Maud Dromgoole's new play is inspired by the fascinating true story of Dr Mary Barton, who in the 1930s established one of

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:05PM[SHARE]
Friday, March 22, 2019

Emilia review at Vaudeville Theatre, London " 'Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's play roars into the West End' by JN Benjamin

When Clare Perkins delivered her rousing final monologue on the stage of Shakespeare's Globe in the 2018 production of Emilia, her words

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 09:06AM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off