Production exploring the multiculturalism of Butetown opens in leading London theatre

A new production, premiering in London, is showcasing the multiculturalism present in Butetown during the Second World War.

Diana Nneka Atouna’s latest theatre production, Trouble in Butetown, is being shown at the Donmar Warehouse theatre in London, throughout February and March this year. The production follows a wartime family living in an illegal boarding house in Butetown during World War II, when an African American soldier escapes his barracks nearby, finding a new world of inclusion that he had not experienced before .

Butetown in Cardiff is known for its diversity as it is one of the UK's oldest multicultural communities and the oldest in Wales. The multiculturalism of Butetown and its history inspired the writing of Diana's new production. She was already aware of the history of Tiger Bay, she said "I knew it had plenty of stories and I thought it had stories that were worth being told."

Read more: Wales' first black head teacher now has a permanent place at the school in Butetown

One theme throughout the play is race and discrimination as it offers the perspective of a black soldier experiencing an integrated society in Cardiff, opposite to the segregation of the US armed forces during WWII. According to Diana the play shows "two worlds, one of discrimination merging with a world of multiculturalism."

When writing, Diana spent a lot of time researching Cardiff, she says "Cardiff is fascinating, I didn't realise how central Cardiff was during the Second World War or how diverse it really is." One fact that she found particularly interesting was that the first million-pound cheque was said to have been signed in Cardiff in 1909.

Although Trouble in Butetown is only being showcased in London at the moment, Diana hopes it can come to Cardiff. The writer said "I would love to bring (Trouble in Butetown) to Cardiff, it would make my year!"

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