Barber Shop Chronicles • Inua Ellams Junior Mthombeni Michael De Cock

Junior Mthombeni and Michael De Cock orchestrate a brilliant adaptation of London-based Inua Ellams’ hit play about contemporary black masculinities. Junior Mthombeni and Michael De Cock orchestrate a brilliant adaptation of London-based Inua Ellams’ hit play about contemporary black masculinities. It is the final of the Champions League, and barber shops are bustling in Kinshasa, Ouagadougou, Douala, Dakar, Abidjan and Brussels. As the clippers buzz, thousands of stories are shared. Indeed, for African men and men of African descent, the barber shop is where you can come together and share stories. A true safe space, the barber shop becomes a social place where any subject can be discussed: sports, relationships and education, but also exile, religion and politics. The open and generous set, with no backstage, recreates the vibrancy of the city: colourful costumes, music and dancing create a festive atmosphere full of energy. But beneath the humour and palpable joy lies the false bottom of a show that is as militant as it is joyful, committed to outlining the contours of a possible brotherhood. → www.kvs.be