New black British comedy has no knives - just sharp humour

Peckham tale: Malachi Kirby and Golda John in Gone Too Far

7 October 2014

The team behind a new British comedy have urged the public to see their film, which features black lead characters and no knives, drugs or gangs.

Gone Too Far, adapted by writer Bola Agbaje from her own Olivier Award-winning play, is the story of a Peckham teenager and his family and friends.

Agbaje, 33, said it was “a truthful portrayal of where I grew up in Peckham and the situation I found myself in”, with scenes of strict mothers, embarrassing siblings and teenage fancies.

The lead character is teenager Yemi, who fears his street credibility — and chances with troublemaking temptress Armani — are threatened by the arrival of his lost-lost Nigerian brother, Iku.

The playwirght said there was “a sad lack of understanding” about what audiences might expect from a black British production: “When there are black characters, people immediately understand it will be guns, knives, gangs. They’re surprised when it is a comedy. For me, that’s nice.”

The original Royal Court play also won Agbaje an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for most promising playwright. It did include a storyline on knives, but she said the issue had been explored on screen since then.

Audiences of all backgrounds could understand the “universal” themes, she added: “I watch lots of films that have white characters. I don’t go, ‘I don’t understand, I’m not white.’” Agbaje, now living in Greenwich, said there was a big debate about black actors heading to the US after getting overlooked in Britain. But “this film shows we have young talent in London ... not running away to Hollywood”.

Yemi is played by Malachi Kirby, 25, whose performance In Mogadishu at the Lyric Hammersmith earned him an Evening Standard award nomination for best newcomer. He said the film was “refreshing”, adding: “There’s a lot of people, especially in the black community, who complain they see the same story all the time — hoodies and not having strong female roles. They should come and see Gone Too Far.”

Gone Too Far, directed by Destiny Ekaragha, is in cinemas this Friday.

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