Black Is The New White

There is a reason Nakkiah Lui is enjoying such massive amounts of success at the moment – she is absolutely brilliant. After Melbourne audiences were delighted by Blackie Blackie Brown last year, Black Is The New White has finally come to the city and you would be a fool to miss it.

Charlotte Gibson and Francis Smith have only been dating for a little over three months but they already know they want to spend their lives together. It’s Christmas time, which means that Francis and his parents must now meet Charlotte’s family: her former-politician father, Ray, "Australia’s Martin Luther King"; her mother Joan, who just wants everything to go smoothly; her sister, Rose, a fashion designer; and her brother-in-law Sonny, an ex-football star. You will cringe with delight as Charlotte’s white boyfriend awkwardly stumbles through his meeting with her Black family but it’s not until Francis’s parents arrive that the real drama and absurdity begins. 

Lui must be a very kind person, because the joy, empathy and overwhelming sense of hope are so striking in this text. As with most romantic comedies, it takes a moment to let go of your inhibitions, but once you do you can enjoy the goofiness of the story – all the collective groans, cringes, laughter and clapping from the audience must be participated in. The actors go all out with their physical performances, making for some excellent comedy. Paige Rattray’s directing is elegant and wonderfully paced – she knows exactly where to add in a visual gag that will lighten the mood and have the audience in peals of laughter. Renée Mulder’s set design is perfect in its aesthetic qualities – we know exactly the kind of house it is and how much it cost – and its openness mirrors the open-heartedness of the text. Everything is on display here, no more hiding for the characters or for us as citizens of Australia. 

At its heart, Black Is The New White is a social commentary on racial politics, families, privilege and how money complicates our identities. However, this is all done without pretension – nothing feels forced or like your mum waiving an angry finger in your face. This is a play that is entertaining to watch, teaches you a lot, and affirms your hope that if we just listen to people and stop focusing on only ourselves we could really get somewhere.