Breaking Black
Comedy Dynamics · 2018 · 57 min
A Kenyan comic examines British imperial amnesia from suburban London.
Released , on Comedy Dynamics.
Njambi McGrath turns Britain’s post-Brexit immigration angst on its head with a simple proposition: if the English did not want Africans living next door, they probably should not have colonized Kenya.
She frames her daily life as the only Black African woman in a white London neighbourhood against centuries of imperial history. She picks apart the Western charity industry, skewering the impulse of foreign visitors to dig redundant wells and film suffering children to soothe lingering historical guilt. The tone stays calm and matter-of-fact, treating English nostalgia for empire like an absurd coping mechanism rather than an intimidating institution.
Filmed in London for NextUp Comedy in 2018, the 57-minute set originated as a run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. McGrath was seven years into working the British club circuit at the time, performing the material a year before winning the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year competition.
Notable bits & set list
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Being spat on and told to go back to the jungle by a four-year-old child.
Explores the hostilities faced by immigrants in the UK while examining their enduring patriotism and resilience.
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Living as the only Black African resident in a white neighbourhood in London.
Frames the personal experience within the broader historical backdrop of the British Empire's global legacy.
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The historical dynamic between British imperial exploitation and modern UK immigration.
Argues that modern immigration stems directly from the imposition of British culture abroad, and negative stereotyping of Africa functions as a long-term PR effort to assuage guilt over slavery and exploitation.
How it plays
- Tone
- Acerbic, layered, hard-hitting edutainment blending observational laughs with tragic insights on British imperial history and race.
- On stage
- Confident and well-researched, delivering sharp observational insight, comically berating double standards, and sharing acerbic personal anecdotes.
- Pace
- Fast-paced with set pieces delivered with deceptive gentleness; reviewer noted the material was densely crammed and sometimes suffered from an over-loud microphone in an intimate space.
- About
- Life as a Black woman in post-Brexit Britain, Life in Kenya, Living in a white London neighbourhood, The global impact and legacy of the British Empire, Media portrayals and stereotyping of Africa, Immigrant aspirations, contributions, and patriotism
What the critics said
Praised as an engaging, revealing, and important show with a satisfyingly layered narrative and punchy one-liners, though noted to be slightly over-crammed with delivery that sometimes lacked clarity.
In the room: The audience laughed frequently while also being shocked, surprised, and informed by the revealed facts and experiences.
Backstory
Centers on the experiences of a Kenyan-born Black British woman navigating a hostile post-Brexit Britain, confronting negative African stereotypes, and examining the lingering historical impact of the British Empire on global immigration.
Details
- Released
- Runtime
- 57 min
- Where
- Comedy Dynamics
- Director
- Andy Parkinson
- Topics
- After
- African In New York - Almost Famous (2019)
More from Njambi McGrath
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One Last Dance With My Father
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-
Accidental Coconut
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-
African In New York - Almost Famous
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