Black Power Desk - Brixton House: A bold reminder of past and present struggles

Cast of Black Power Desk. Image by: Helen Murray

⭑⭑⭑⭑ - 85% • 4 minutes 10 seconds read time

Brixton House continues its strong programme of socially charged theatre with Black Power Desk, a piece that both interrogates the past and speaks directly to the present. Set within the shadows of state surveillance and racialised policing in 1970s Britain, it thrives on heartfelt performances, sharp dialogue, and acting as truth telling - even if its structure sometimes restrains rather than releases its impact.

What immediately struck me is the calibre of the acting. Rochelle Rose (Celia) and Veronica Carabai (Dina) bring to the stage an arresting sense of conflict - both within themselves and between each other. The internal versus the external, the longing to exist authentically versus the crushing demands of survival in a society designed to diminish you. How navigating that internal conflict in a way that feels right for you, can create external conflict with others who don’t agree. Both carry the exhaustion of this reality in a way that sits heavy in the auditorium, and it is impossible not to feel it. It’s a wonderful balancing act from both of them, of vulnerability and defiance.

Comedy, too, is woven in with skill. There’s light audience interaction making you feel like you’re part of something rather than just an observer. Geral Falconer’s Carlton provides much-needed levity to an otherwise heavy piece without ever undercutting the gravity of the subject matter. His timing is spot-on, and his humour lands precisely because it feels drawn from the resilience of lived experience rather than being grafted on for easy laughs. The result is a rhythm that makes the heavier themes digestible while also ensuring they remain piercing.

Something I loved, was that the narrative refuses to stay predictable. Just when you think you’ve settled into the flow, and that you can see what’s coming next, a plot twist forces you to re-examine what you thought you knew. This mirrors the very nature of Black experience in that era - the idea that survival meant adapting to rules that shifted with the wind, rules that were never written to protect you. It is a smart dramatic choice that carries thematic weight.

But what gives Black Power Desk its urgency is its immediacy. Strip away the vintage costumes, the hair styles, the period signage, and you are left with a story that could be staged in 2025 without losing relevance. Perhaps it would be even more so. The England it depicts is one in which immigrants are scapegoated, structural inequality is excused, and systemic prejudice is dressed up as public order. Watching it in Brixton, across the street from Brixton village - a space that celebrates all the diverse people that have made Britain home - in this particular cultural moment where the country is covered in flags intended to intimidate and stoke racial tensions? It is a reminder of how little has changed when you look deeper than the surface.

The music is worth celebrating too. Played beautifully by the band on stage, it cleverly highlights how many different genres of music are here because of the influence of Black people and the various cultures they come from. It reflects the role of Black creativity in shaping Britain’s cultural identity. The decision to use two-tone ska to soundtrack racist police officers is inspired - it draws attention to the strange contradiction of white artists profiting from Caribbean influences while simultaneously participating in or upholding oppressive structures. This duality is handled with precision and bite. Vocally, the cast shine throughout, though I would have liked more moments for them to really soar. There’s a huge depth of vocal talent but I felt - particularly for Rochelle Rose and Alexander Bellinfantie as Jarvis - they could have filled Arena’s with their sound if the songs allowed it. But only twice did I feel the songs did allow for that. But in those moments, they remind us that music is not just expression but also testimony. We were here, and we were human.

What also deserves recognition is the way the play situates itself at the intersection of multiple oppressions. Primarily this is about the mistreatment of Black people in Britain in the 70s, yes. But it recognises that that mistreatment wasn’t happening in a vacuum. Racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and the legacies of colonialism are not treated as separate but interwoven. And if we view theatre as a means to inform as well as entertain, then that to me feels a vital conversation thread.

I also adored the use of sound design tying the fictionalised story to the very real struggles of figures such as the Mangrove Nine and Cherry Groce. The layering of testimony with performance is deeply affecting, grounding the play in lived history.

The production is not without its flaws, however. There is a sense that the piece operates on a single emotional register. From the opening moments, the stakes are set high - and they remain there throughout. This makes for compelling tension at first, but over time it did have me feeling flat, as if the play never allows itself the contours of shade before surging into the light again. It is not that the intensity is misplaced, but rather that a more varied pacing might have deepened the journey.

The interval also feels poorly positioned. Placed about 10 minutes too late, it causes the first act to drag at a point where the energy is beginning to dip. Had the break arrived earlier, the pacing of the overall evening might have felt sharper and more controlled.

In the end, Black Power Desk is a strong piece of theatre, that resonates powerfully in its performances, music, and political immediacy. It leaves you with no doubt about the injustices of the past, and no comfort about the present. Though its structure could use tightening and its emotional pitch a greater variety, it remains a bold and valuable production, and is absolutely worth seeing.

Black Power Desk runs at Brixton House until September 28th. It will then play at Warwick Arts Centre on October 14th, Salford’s Lowry October 16th-18th, and the Birmingham Hippodrome October 22nd - 25th.