Belgrade theatre, Coventry
Contested heritage, inequity and the criminal justice system are explored in poet Casey Bailey’s one-man play

‘Please do not touch” reads a sign in front of a stolen Somali afro comb on display in a British heritage site. But why should we listen when it has been placed here by thieving hands? Mason, a social justice TikToker, is here to expose the artefact’s hidden colonial history to the world. But, when he gets caught veering a little too close to the comb, a tragic chain reaction is forced into motion. Mason is locked away from his friends and family in a young offender institution, his voice effectively silenced in the process.

Written by former Birmingham poet laureate Casey Bailey and adapted from his 2021 poetry collection of the same name, the script hums with expressive lyricism. We meet an adrenalised, boyish Mason (Tijan Sarr), eager and ready to pull apart a broken system, and watch as he is squashed down into quiet despair. He keeps himself busy with books and poetry, trying to find the words to make sense of his time inside. But any joy he finds in prison can be robbed from him, with one cruel decision. The music by Kayodeine rhythmically accompanies Mason’s frustrations. As the scenes roll on, he is pushed to grow up before our eyes.