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EXPERIENCES: Nick Makoha

A PLAYWRIGHT hopes to open a dialogue about the absence father syndrome with his new production that was inspired by his childhood.

Ugandan-born Nick Makoha’s play My Father and Other Superheroes premiered at the Southbank Literature festival earlier this month and audiences will get another chance to see the show at the Unicorn Theatre, in London Bridge this Sunday (June 16) on Father’s Day.

The play is an autobiographical account exploring the ways in which boys can deal with the “absent father syndrome” and examines how certain TV male icon superheroes can play surrogate father roles to fill the void of loneliness in young men’s lives.

Makoha, 38, from Croydon, south London, said: “People have been really moved. After each show audiences have stayed behind to share their own memories and experiences of dads with each other.

“I have also met many audience members since and they are still quoting chunks of the story to me or sharing it with members of their family and people they work with. The online conversation about the show seemed to be in the zeitgeist, I am glad to say.”

The topic is very much relevant in today’s society, especially with the increasing number of single-parent families (households) in the UK.

According to the Office for National Statistics in 2012, more than one in four families are now led by a single parent.

Ninety-two per cent of single parents are female, and Britain has more single parent families than anywhere else in Europe.

Makoha has been running workshops with father's groups to support the themes in the show.

He said: “Many of these young fathers had never been to a theatre as they feel it is not an experience that includes them. I think my play is very different to their expectations and so I work hard to reach different audiences and encourage them to join the debate.”

In recent weeks, the debate about the lack of BME playwrights has resurfaced and leading academics have called for a more work by BMEs and a more diverse curriculum across drama schools in the UK.

The notion that the theatre is only for the rich is still widely perceived. The fact that My Father and Other Superheroes has not only been written by a black man, but has resonated with the community is a milestone.

He said: “When I look into the crowd from the stage the faces looking back at me have been of all ages, races and genders from seventy to 70.

“For example, on my left there was a grandfather with his grandson on his lap and to my right a mother with her daughter. In the middle a young couple holding hands and next to them a young father who came by himself.

“What's more they come in packs too. I guess having a father is the common thread whether they were there or not there. It's a universal theme that touches us all.”

Having lacked a father of his own Makoha understands the seriousness of the subject.

However, he playfully brings humour to ensure the show can be enjoyed by families and young children.

He said: “It utilised all the best parts of me, written word, my performance self, my individuality and my need to connect with the world. It is definitely my biggest triumph.”

But the dad-of-two argues that it’s less about colour, and more about attitude.

He added: "The first thing to remember is that this story in many ways is a love story and that my father was always my hero all be it an absent one.

“Also as a single mother my mother worked hard to make sure that all the men be they friends, uncles etc were a positive influence around me.

“When the father is stigmatised, you also stigmatise the family and the mother. I wanted to address this in my own life and in wider society.”

*For more information go to http://unicorntheatre.com/my-father-and-other-superheroes, or call 0207 645 0560 for the Box Office.