After Sunday: A Belgrade Theatre and Bush Theatre Co-production

Written by Sophia Griffin (from Birmingham and making her debut as a playwright) and directed by Belgrade’s Artistic Director Corey Campbell, After Sunday follows three black men on a self-discovery journey who, with the help of an Occupational Therapist, discover their love for food after signing up for a new Caribbean cooking group in a secure hospital. But too much food for thought can be a bad thing and it’s not just the pans that threaten to boil over.

Campbell, now Creative Director at the Belgrade Theatre, produced Fighting Irish for Coventry’s UK City of Culture 2021, and is Artistic Director of Strictly Arts Theatre, known for the award-winning Freeman. His work centres on collaboration and real stories from African and Caribbean communities. Earlier this year, his rap and R&B adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, co-produced with Bristol Old Vic and Hackney Empire, involved local young people excluded from mainstream education in the production process.

Featuring a talented cast, After Sunday stars Aimee Powell (The Lonely Londoners, Family Tree, Nothello) as Naomi, an occupational therapist striving to do more for her group; Corey Weekes (Grimeboy at Birmingham Rep, Miss Julie at Cast Doncaster and Co-Founder of Belgrade 2024 Springboard member That’s A Rap) as Ty, a young man coming to terms with life in a secure hospital; Darrel Bailey (Storehouse, Yippee Ki Yay on the UK/USA tour, Small Island) as Daniel, a father longing to see his children; and David Webber (The High Table at Bush Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The Bridge Theatre, Small Island, Barbershop Chronicles, Death and the King’s Horseman and Leave Taking at the National Theatre) as Leroy, a wise yet troubled grandfather. Presented at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre, a leading West Midlands venue dedicated to creativity, education, and community “co-creation”, the production continues the Belgrade’s mission to tell bold, local stories that connect people.

Having spoken to Griffin before the start of the play, I asked how she felt about this being her first production and the experience of writing it. She explained that she’s “feeling all the feels,” especially with the piece being “bold and ambitious,” and hopes it will be “an accurate, sensitive portrayal of secure hospitals.” She also shared how grateful she is for how welcoming the team has been.

After Sunday, what a play. It’s beautiful and thought provoking all throughout. Furthermore 70% of the creative team are from Coventry, according to Campbell. For me, theatre has always been something that I enjoyed, being a bit of a theatre kid in secondary. But it has always felt like something for white people, so I’m very thankful to Griffin and Campbell for writing and directing this.

Going into the show, I initially expected a comedy but soon found myself with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. It explored something rarely discussed in the Black community: the lack of support for Black men’s mental health. The play also highlighted the pressure faced by therapists and support workers to engage with service users without becoming “over-invested.” It was refreshing to witness the journey of three Black men at different life stages navigating grief, shame, neurodivergence, and the desire to stay connected with family while in a secure hospital. It was also powerful to see an all-Black cast during Black History Month and to see the amount of black people also watching.

I also learnt that there was LIVE COOKING during the show, which is wild because as the play went along, I thought ‘wow they’ve even got timed sprays that smells like plantain, onions and oxtail stew’.

After the show, I spoke with Campbell about Cooking with the Campbells and his experience cooking with his mum. He shared how much he enjoyed it, saying it’s something he doesn’t often get the chance to do. Campbell also mentioned wanting to refine the pacing of the play, aiming to keep the audience fully engaged and he’s confident it will be much tighter by the final Coventry performance. He added that his decision to work with Griffin wasn’t based solely on her work, but on her character and values, explaining that he always prioritises the person over the project.

After Sunday will be shown in the Belgrade Theatre from Friday 10 October until Saturday 25 October before showing at the Bush Theatre from Friday 10 November to Monday 20 December, with tickets starting from £12. But don’t forget to watch After Sunday: Cooking with the Campbells, a four-part series to accompany After Sunday on the Belgrade Theatre’s YouTube page, which follows Campbell and his mum cooking Caribbean food and lots of funny moments. Similar to Romeo and Juliet, After Sunday will be followed by the chance to enjoy some delicious and free Caribbean food. With a special post-show discussion on Thursday 23 October gives the audience the opportunity to talk and ask questions to the cast and creative team (fingers crossed I’ll hopefully be able to go!).