Jitney at Oldham Coliseum
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Written by August Wilson, Jitney stands out as one of the great American contemporary classics. Set in 1970s Pittsburgh and packed with conflict, love, jealousy and deceit, this groundbreaking drama explores the fragile bond between eight unlicensed cab drivers in post-war America.
One of the great American contemporary classics.
Regular cabs won’t travel to the Pittsburgh Hill District in 1977, so local residents turn to Jim Becker’s unlicensed taxi company. However, when Becker’s son returns from prison, a struggle to reconcile the past begins, and the future of the company and its drivers is threatened.
August Wilson is one of America’s greatest and most ambitious writers. A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner with a theatre named after him on Broadway, Wilson has been referred to as the “theatre’s poet of Black America” and his plays, including Fences and The Piano Lesson, chronicle the experiences and heritage of the African-American community. Jitney was the first play that Wilson wrote in his series of ten plays called the Pittsburgh Cycle. Written over the course of 25 years, each play represents a different decade in the twentieth century and each focuses on the lives of African-Americans.
Directed by Tinuke Craig (The Colour Purple), this extraordinary production of Jitney received critical acclaim when it premiered at Leeds Playhouse last year. Described as a “meticulous production” by The Guardian and “a beautifully wrought production of an excellent, important play” in a five-star review by The Telegraph, this powerful character-based play tackles themes such as gentrification and social justice, and family power dynamics and their influence on our daily lives.
August Wilson is one of America’s greatest and most ambitious writers.
Of Jitney, Director Tinuke Craig said, “Ultimately, it’s a love story about community and the strengths a community can have – particularly if it’s marginalised; how you are stronger together and how you can strive to change your circumstances with help from other people.”
A co-production by Headlong, Leeds Playhouse and The Old Vic, don’t miss this searing production when it plays at Oldham Coliseum this July.
