The Leeds West Indian Carnival is such an established part of the city’s cultural scene, having just celebrated its 50th birthday, it’s hard to imagine a time without it.
But someone had to start Carnival, and Leeds in 1967 was a very different place – often drab and grey, not only from the weather, with soot-stained buildings and dance halls like the Locarno playing ballads from the likes of Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdinck.
That’s the world new arrivals from the Caribbean like Arthur France (played by Raphael Bushay) found as they arrived to the promise of “glamorous” Chapeltown – along with the casual racism captured in this production’s chilling use of archive news audio, echoes from a time when some would tell a reporter their disgust at being served food by a “coloured” person.
The real Arthur is now celebrated as Leeds royalty, but it wasn’t always so.
Elexi Walker as Beverly wins over the audience from her first appearance, suitcase in hand, newly arrived having promised her father she would train as a nurse in Leeds. She’s having none of that.
She plans instead to be a hairdresser. Beverly’s story is an emotional rollercoaster of hope, disappointment, friendship and determination that leads, against all her own expectations, to her being crowned as the first Queen of Chapeltown.
The story comes alive thirty minutes in when Arthur declares his intention to organise a carnival with the help of two mates – nerdy engineer Raymond (Benjamin Cawley) and flash-dressing, jive talking Tidy Boots (Gabriel Paul). Despite initial scepticism from the West Indian Association, not to mention the practical challenge of sourcing feathers, Arthur is single minded in his objective.
Beverly meanwhile has struck up friendship with hairdresser Hilary (Emily Butterfield ). Spurned by the posh salons (and the Co-op) Hilary encourages Beverly to offer mobile appointments, and over a glass of rum persuades her to go dancing. Again, we see discrimination at play as well as at work, but not before Arthur spots his potential Phoenix.
Their story comes together in a rousing finale reminiscent of the glittering, pulsating and anarchic King and Queen Shows which have graced the Quarry Theatre stage for the past four years.
Like a Bank Holiday in Potternewton Park the glimpses of sunshine in this show are something special, with raw emotion and laugh out loud moments.
Writer Colin Grant has put the piece together from oral history interviews with the real people portrayed as their younger selves on stage, a connection made overt as the story ends. A community chorus made up of the real faces and voices of Chapeltown fill supporting roles from salon customers to dancehall groovers. The production is directed by Amy Leach.
Production photography by Anthony Robley