ICW: Cast of Choir Boy at the Bristol Old Vic.

At the end of last month the team behind the Bristol Old Vic’s production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play Choir Boy invited me to crash their rehearsal room afternoon to chat with the cast about what they’ve been creating. You truly wouldn’t believe that up to a couple of months ago, the five of them didn’t know each other - walking in it’s like entering a space with lifelong friends and instantly feeling part of it.

We chatted about what attracted them to the show, getting to know each other, the developing of the music in the show, the creative process and more. Read/Listen below!

Terique:
Hi, I’m Terique Jarrett and I play Pharys.

Khalid:
I’m Khalid Daley and I’m playing Jr.

Jyuddah:
I’m Jyuddah Jaymes and I play AJ. 

Alistair:
I’m Alistair Nwachukwu and I play Bobby.

Michael:
I’m Michael Ahomka-Lindsay and I play David.

Brianna (TBP):
Tell us about the script and what brought you on board? 

AN: Tarell Alvin McCraney 
MAL: Yeah, firstly!
All: (Laughter) yep! 
AN: He’s just an amazing writer right? And the things he’s done in the past, I mean moonlight, and he’s done choir boy before on Broadway - was it Broadway?
KD: Broadway and off-Broadway. It was actually done here first at the Royal Court. 
MAL: But yeah my agent told me it was by Tarrel Alvin McCraney and I was like, okay I’m in. 
TJ: I think when we very very first met we kind of bonded over like, Moonlight and some of Tarrel’s work. So I think Tarrel was definitely the thing that brought us into it. And then also - not to speak for anyone else - but I think also because of the discussions that we’ve had, I think us being Black boys, or having been Black teenage boys, that kind of draws me into it. To hear these stories and kind of go back to the pressures and politics of what being a teenager is. I think those things also drew me in. 
MAL: 100%. Because I remember reading the script and being like, okay, I want to be a part of the discussions that this script will prompt. To be in a room with these Black men, and Nancy (Medina, director), a Black woman, and everyone just talking about - 

(At this point, Nancy, as though summoned by Michael, entered the room and the whole group lost their minds.
MAL: Speaking of the devil! I said your name and you walked in.
Nancy: That’s stardom darling. )

MAL: But yeah, just being a part of that. A part of the discussions. Because you’re right, you’re a teenager and stuff happens to you and then you’re an adult. 
TJ: And it’s like, decide what you want to do for the rest of your life Now. As a teenager!
KD: And the complexities of that. Especially with what this play does. Like the journey of being a young Black man, like as teens and then progressing to become young Black men and then Black men, and what that means. Deconstructing that. It’s beautiful. Especially in this play because we deal with like a lot of subjects, and with it being in the setting that it’s in - a boarding school that’s restricting them from being who they want to be, but telling them you have to be like this in order to be successful. 
JJ: It’s opening up conversations about what society asks of men in general. Because these are what build up who we’ve kind of, gone on to become. You build this kind of structure that you’re meant to abide by at that point, and it just stays. It just keeps staying and staying and staying. And so actually, even though they are teenagers, this isn’t far removed from the conversations I have with myself, my family, my friends. I chat to my mum about what it means to be human, to be a man. It’s all structured. It’s really nice the way this play not only breaks it down, but that it enables others to break it down and talk about it for themselves. 
MAL: We are who we are now because of that stuff right. To ask the question of, why is the situation now what it is? Well let’s look at what we learnt then. 
KD: And also the pressures of having to grow up quite quickly, whilst you’re still figuring out who you are. And in this setting - there are adults around but like, they don’t have their family just down the road, so it’s also like, how do you grow up without them? 

Brianna (TBP):
It’s set in a school - did day 1 in the rehearsal room feel like the first day at school? 

KD: So we had a photo shoot first, that was our first meeting and it did feel very much like that, especially when we were playing music. Because we were lying down for the photo and we would just be laughing and they’d have to be like “Sorry guys can you just, so we can get the shot” and we’d be still laughing saying oh sorry sorry.
All: Laugh
MAL: That’s funny because it wasn’t like first day of school like “Oh I’m nervous”, it was first day of school like “Yo what you saying” 
All: (gassing each other)
JJ: I was so gassed to meet everybody. There was an element of it too that was like - so I already know Nancy. And I know Nancy is very good at putting people together. Every single time I’ve ever spent time working with her, she’s always found people and gone like, yeah this is my team. I was in the middle of another play and it was so weird to like meet these guys, gel so well, and then go back to the other play. Because I was like, oh my gosh I thought I’d never feel such synergy like I had with the people I was working with before but honestly - it’s totally different but - it was nice to take the photos with good people, and then we had the singing day which was sick. So yeah, first day I felt like there was a lot more comfort than I had ever had before. 
TJ: I think what I appreciated about our first days was there were no egos. There were no egos in the room. 
MAL: Still. 
TJ: Still no egos in the room. 
JJ: Soon though, soon. 
All: (Laugh)

Brianna (TBP):
The music in this is different to traditional musical theatre - it’s gospel-inspired. Are you having to tap into parts of your voice that you don’t normally use? 

TJ: So when we auditioned, for me they asked specifically for spiritual, not gospel music. And so for me, in preparation for it and still to this day, I mean I listen to gospel music anyway but I do listen to more R&B and pop sounds, so I would tune my ear to gospel, that warmer sound. For me, that has been the conscious shift. In terms of not just the sounds and keys of things but also just how they riff and their relationship with music. So that was it for me, 
KD: I would say it was looking at the feeling of it. I feel like what makes it different is so much of the time, especially when it comes to spiritual or gospel music when you hear those riffs or you hear certain vocal choices, it’s from a feeling. It’s like something taking over them, it’s a different form of praise. And essentially they use that gift that has been given to them. I feel as though when approaching it in the audition, it was like how do I take it here to feel this. 
MAL: What you two are touching on I totally relate. It’s the exploration of it. And as we’re working on it and we’re finding out what this is, we’re discovering feelings. We might not know on the first day or the 3rd or the 4th, but we’ll find it. And we’ll sit with Femi and he’ll be like “let’s try this key” and we’re like “I guess we’re finding a new key!” But actually it doesnt feel pressured, it just feels like “cool, we’re in a new key, so what is this now” - it’s just constantly changing. Jyuddah, his harmonies keep changing! 
All: (Laugh)
TJ: Jyuddah came in a baritone and now he’s like -
All: A bass!
JJ: I can’t sing high ever again. 
MAL: Your voice is real low.
JJ: Yeah, it’s low. I was gonna say, that’s a big adjustment. I feel like even the way in which my voice naturally feels more comfortable because I’m always doing low - remember we did the song day and there was a point where you asked me to sing down here and I did that and everyone was like “…yeah!!” I was like, y’all just want me to sing bass!
All: Laugh
TJ: Everyone else was like, I don’t want bass. 
All: Laugh
MAL: We’re like “yes Jyuddah! keep going!”
JJ: It’s really interesting though because even just touching on that, the layers. Like when you bring the bass in and when you bring those other layers in, it just does something. It actually elevates my energy like, my frequency. It’s really really nice. And whenever I’ve auditioned for muscial theatre in the past - that still feels nice but it feels like these songs are trying to tap into something. Literally they are spiritual so they are trying to tap into your spirit. There’s a lot of points in the play where spiritual things happen and it’s really easy for me - I don’t know how you guys find it - to not act it. Even like, motherless child, that bit it feels very spiritual and deep and beautiful. So to be given an opportunity to do that in a play? 
KD: It’s rare. 
JJ: Absolutely, I’ve never known that to be the case. 
MAL: It’s so intentional. The music is so intentional. 
AN: And the fact that we’re doing it at Bristol. Where there were half a million slaves, and now we’re there doing the songs that they made. There’s a reason why we’re doing it. 
All: (Agreement)

Brianna (TBP):
That’s powerful. That’s deep. 

JJ: It’s funny you say that because we’ve carried this with a lot of lightness in the room. We’re talking about very deep topics, and I don’t think at any point it’s felt like too much. Nancy talks about creating a brave space as opposed to a safe space. And I understand that. I never understood it initially but I understand it so much in terms of daring to go for the deep stuff, the meaningful stuff. I guess it’s just because we’ve created this safety within ourselves and talking about it like we do makes it easier to get heavy, and not be afraid. And then come back to the lightness. 
MAL: Because I think the heaviness comes from the fear. “I don’t know where to go from here, or I don’t know how this is going to be taken.” 
TJ: RIght, yeah. 
MAL: But because it feels quite fearless, we’re just talking about stuff, we have these conversations so often, it doesn’t feel fearful or heavy. I don’t feel scared or uncomfortable. 
JJ: This is the most I’ve laughed in a rehearsal room. 
All: agree

Brianna (TBP):
Graham (Production Manager), I was talking to him before I came in here, and he said he’s never heard laughter in a rehearsal room like he hears in here. 
TJ: Every single day.
MAL: Every minute.
TJ: Every minute!
MAL: Scenes have been stopped from laughing and it’s not because we’re not taking it seriously, it’s in aid of and in honour of what’s been happening. 

Brianna (TBP):
A lot of the music is acapella right? 

MAL: All of it.
All: Yeah all of it. 
TJ: Every. Damn. Song
All: Laugh 

Brianna (TBP):
If you could delve into that for us Terique?

All: Laugh
TJ: No because obviously - well not obviously - but we learn it with our musical director Femi and hes teaching it to us on the keys. And there’s something about music that moves us, and the way he plays? Like we really feel it and get the vibe he’s trying to go for and then you remember. Oh wait, that’s not gonna be there. We are the vibe. 

Brianna (TBP):
Who out of you is the most like their character? 

TJ: Out of us? I would say -
All: (Laughing)
MAL: What you gonna say? 
MAL & AN: It’s you!
TJ: (Laughing) 
KD: He’s ready, he’s ready
TJ: It’s Jyuddah
All: (Agree laughing)
MAL: That’s actually so fair.
TJ: Right?
AN: That’s so true.
KD: It’s mad true.
MAL: But also it’s the sweetness, do you know what I mean?
TJ: There’s an earnest like, sometimes Jyuddah will have like, random outbursts of stuff but in such an endearing way.
JJ: That’s so kind. You sound like my dad trying to encourage me “in such an endearing way.” Well we’ve discovered that maybe, just maybe, there are some similarities. Shall we touch on it? Okay. I find that I got relaxed really really easily, very quickly with these guys. And so there’s been points where the two people have kind of meshed. And strangely enough this character, I found the hardest to pinpoint stuff. Because when we’ve been playing I think I’ve just kind of gone with instinct as opposed to - I mean we’ve done a lot of notes. But I was finding so many similarities like I have a really really wonderful relationship with my mum and the character does as well, even though it’s not necessarily something that is talked about all the time. And he’s got this kind of, openness and lightness that I find I have worked very hard to try and accommodate within my own life. And depending on how that interprets, you can be doing one thing and it can come out a different way.
All: (Laughing)
JJ: But yeah, I just love to play and like be fun, to just have fun you know? The world is so ugh, I just like to have fun. And finding this bunch of homies who are all about fun as well, it’s like, let’s do it. So yeah, okay yeah, I’ll take that. I’d never thought about that. 
All: (Laughing)
JJ: Thank you, I think that was a compliment. 
All: Yeah! 
MAL: I think you’re like Jr as well though.
KD: Who me?
MAL: You have similarities.
JJ: That response! “Who me?!”
All: (Laughing)
MAL: The fun, the fun. Jr is always bringing fun. 
KD: Yeah. It feels, I was saying this to Ingrid who is our movement director and intimacy coordinator, it feels like I’m almost like nurturing a younger version of myself. Like I feel as though there are aspects of him that are similar to how I was when I was younger and I feel as though I just stepped away from him. But now with this play I feel as though I am going back, giving him a hug, and then going. 

Brianna (TBP):
That’s so beautiful. 

All: Yeah, that’s really lovely.
MAL: That’s really nice. Really relatable as well. 
KD: Yeah because I remember when I was younger wanting to be in the school choir, but I cared what everyone thought. And now, being able to be in a choir? Let’s go.
MAL: Single coming out soon by the way. 
All: (laughing)
MAL: I gotta plug.
TJ: Yeah, shamelessly!
All: (Laughing)
TJ: No like it’s true, it’s so true. We have a drama therapist on this, I can share this, I was saying to her, I feel like this is the closest - in therapy they often talk about tapping into your inner child. I feel like this is the closest that I’ve been to my inner child since childhood. And that is honestly a lot to do with you guys. You four people. Because like, there is no - I’m not in my head. I feel comfortable and brave enough to explore, and play, and laugh. I feel like there’s no judgement. Off the back of what you were saying. 
KD: It’s so true. It’s like the least fearful I’ve felt in a rehearsal room. There’s no - I don’t know. I remember saying when we first met, I don’t feel like I left part of me at the door. I feel like I’m bringing all pieces with me. 
MAL: We do check outs at the end of every day as well as check ins and it’s been a recurring thing that people walk out feeling better than when they entered. 

Brianna (TBP):
When you’re approaching a new character - not necessarily specific to this, but in general - what is your way in? Do you approach the physicality first, do you throw a playlist together, what’s your thing? 

TJ: That’s a good question. I find playlists helpful for me. Some characters, depending on the character and the time period, I do find music helpful. That the character would listen to or, you know, soundtracks their life in whatever period.
MAL: I rate it, I think they are helpful aren’t they, playlists. When I’m in the room I want to try my best to be outside of just thinking, and be responding to everyone. So it’s really helpful to figure out what the inner monologue of the character is first, so that when I’m here I don’t have to think about that too much and that it becomes embedded. And sometimes playlists are really helpful, like I’ll choose songs and be like “this is probably something he feels about this character.” That’s kinda where I like to start and then opposing that is like, what everyone else thinks about that character as well. What’s the perspective of the other people. And usually those things are at odds with each other most times. So that’s what I find a good starting point. 
AN: Also what I found helpful in the table read, was the level of detail. I’ve never really delved in that deep. And just the rules of the world you know, the rules of the school that there in, and how relationships are formed. All of that. When you then go up on stage it’s just all there, percolating.
MAL: I really rate that. Because as people were always like, adhering to some social rules. Sometimes you can get kind of lost in space where you’re asked to do something and you don’t know how to - because usually we know how to navigate the space we’re in. So we just adhere to that. So knowing what the rules of that space are?
AN: Because there’s always dynamics as well. 
MAL: Yeah exactly. 
KD: I feel as though it changes. Like even with this I feel as though it’s so different. Because like you said, we’ve gone through such a level of detail in the script that when reading it, I had like a lot of questions and I was like “okay how do I find out these answers?” and then being able to discuss with everyone I’m like “ohh okay, it’s making sense.” And a lot of it is stuff that’s not on the page but is like a thread through. So then being able to, once we’ve done the detail, get up and just play I’m like okay cool. I’m finding out the physicality, I’m finding like little habitual things, or the dynamic between all the characters, and who is more at the forefront and who is more at the back.
JJ: I always find my biggest challenge with a character is being able to walk in their shoes. So for me the first kind of part of it, I just play around. I try thinking as little as possible. In my own life I find that works too. I try to kind of, get comfortable. Even though we’ve done this however many times we’ve done this, there is a sense of “Okay, this is a new ride, new person, how do I feel? Bit nervous. I’m going to expose this person through myself, how do I feel?” And then getting out of that and into the repetition cycle of making that actually the classroom, actually our rooms, actually the quad. And then going okay cool, let’s find the detail now because I feel comfortable now. Let’s get specific. I’ve said the lines, I’ve done the mechanical things. Also I find that when I’m asked a question like what sort of music does AJ listen to, first couple of weeks I ain’t got a clue. Because we’ve not shaken hands yet, for me. And so it gets to a point where I’m like “I think he listens to this, what do you think?” and I try to have an inner conversation and it just builds and builds. And hopefully by like, tech and previews I’m there. Probably past tech because you’re still doing the mechanical stuff. I remember seeing an interview that Viola Davis did where she said she did Fences, and she did however many shows of it and it got to the last performance - she’d done like 110 performances - and she was like “Did I get it? Did I know the character? I don’t know. I went out there every night and I did it but did I get it?” and maybe I was wondering if the process can actually be the discovery. Is what we’re seeing how the actor meets and discovers, and I’ve always just been curious about that. I don’t think I’m strict necessarily. And fortunately Nancy, she doesn’t rule with an iron fist. She’s very much letting us go. So that’s another thing, maybe I’m kind of echoing parts of what you guys are saying as well. But I kind of always think that maybe this might be perceived as taking a little more time, but if I’m gonna get there I might as well take the time. 
MAL: It mirrors life as well. We’re all just walking around figuring it out, do you know what I mean? You’re just watching someone doing - especially teenagers. They don’t know really, who they are. 
JJ: I was gonna say, watching everyone else as well is a really useful thing. Because the dynamic - especially when I was a teenager, so much of my life was the people around me. Like so much of who I was, so that’s another thing. 
TJ: Plus we all did help create this world, so it does help us to subconsciously go oh, we’re in this world so this is how the body sits, and all of that stuff. 
JJ: And asking each other questions quite openly. I don’t feel like anybody’s asked me a question about my character and I’ve ever felt defensive. I actually find it really useful to know what people think of my part. Maybe in the past I’d’ve been like “what do you know?” but this is a really really safe space, and we’re just friends. 

Brianna (TBP):
Do you have a favourite line in this - as long as it’s not a spoiler? 

KD: There’s so many good ones. 
TJ: All of the lines I think of are like, because of the performance of the lines. 

Brianna (TBP):
That’s alright because then people will have to come and see the show to know why it was your favourite. 

TJ: Exactly! Exactly! Some of my favourite lines are like, Tarell is very, very, very clever at like putting in cultural references. In ways that like, I don’t even realise. 
KD: It’s unbelievable. 
TJ: There’s one line that Pharys says like “Where do I run to escape” which is a direct reference to Who Can I Run To by the band Xscape. 

Brianna (TBP):
Oh that is so clever. 

TJ: Yeah, and he just, he puts them in so subtly. Does anyone have any? I’m thinking of performances. 
MAL: I love the headmaster quotes DMX. 
TJ: Yes, yes! Another one. 
MAL: The headmaster of the school quotes DMX, and it’s just in there and flows out. Stop, drop, turn around. And then he’s gone and you’re like “woah, wait a minute” 
All: (Laughing) 
MAL: It’s cool. 
JJ: I was gonna say, I don’t know if this is a line or if you’re (Terique) just doing this but you do this thing where like you, I don’t know you kind of go “OhWOAH” and it is my favourite. It’s my favourite bit you do, it’s like the spirit comes through you. 
All: (Laughing) 
JJ: I have to remember I am in the scene because I laugh. But because I’m AJ and your homie it kinda works. 
TJ: I think everybody has iconic lines. Every character.

Brianna (TBP):
Most of the time acting is a team sport, so what makes a really great scene partner for you?

JJ: Someone who is silent and lets me- 
All: (Laughing) 

Brianna (TBP):
Do you remember when you said there were no egos and he said “soon”? 

All: (Laughing)
TJ: Soon! Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was warning us. 
KD: He’s revealed himself. 
TJ: That is such a funny joke. I think someone who is, because it’s a back and forth, someone who is open and receptive, and likes to offer and play. I think those are my ones. 
AN: Generous.
TJ: Generous! 
KD: I echo all of that to be honest. And playful.
MAL: Because then you feel encouraged to play yourself. Inspiring, people who are inspiring to be in a scene with is my favourite because you’re like oh yeah - you elevated that. 
TJ: That’s true. 
MAL: And then you keep on going and it’s just like, snowballing. And that’s what makes a great scene, and that process continues all the way through the run. 
JJ: I was gonna say someone who makes me listen if that makes sense? I remember Morgan Freeman saying that “acting is reacting in my book.” And I feel like sometimes when you’re on stage and thinking about your line, there’s a point where you can go “What am I doing?” but like when someone is really giving, is receptive, get’s you in a position where you’re just listening to them. It stops becoming about the line, because you know the line, because you actually know their line. It’s like, wow, look at what you’re doing, what you’re giving. And yeah, it’s my line now but oh, I don’t need to do anything. And they don’t have to do the performance of their life, they just are giving so much that you’re like “we’re in this together.” 

Brianna (TBP):
When people come and see this and you’ve done your bows and they’re off home, what do you hope they’re thinking after seeing this? 

TJ: So the first place my mind went to, Nancy was telling us Tarell is comfortable with the audience - the way that the story is set out, we think we see, things aren’t what they seem. So we make assumptions about characters, we make assumptions about where the story is gonna go. And I think Tarell is okay with that, he’s intentional about that. For you to get to a certain point and go “Oh, actually, I was complicit in what some of the other characters were doing. How some of the characters treat other characters.” I don’t really know what I’m saying in direct reference to your question, but I want people to go away and be reflective. 
KD: I’d say like people leaving feeling reflective on possible preconceived ideas they have about humanity. Because I feel a lot of the characters teach us stuff. And it’s so relatable, it’s like you say in regards to this being so universal. Sometimes we have our own preconceived ideas that we don’t realise we have. And sometimes we have to see it in front of us to be like “Wow okay, I need to think about that.” 
AN: Didn’t Nancy say something like she wants the audience to go home wanting to hug their sons, or their siblings, their loved ones? Something like that. And this morning she said that the reason why she picked this play is the humanity in the play. And there’s so much humanity within this show. So I think yeah, going home and appreciating the loved ones you have around you. 
MAL: There’s something about complexity that we’ve been looking at a lot. No one character is perfect, no one character is just golden throughout. And that’s human, and complex, and it’s powerful to understand these young Black boys as being complex. And having life experiences that are making their lives even more complex. And like, all the things that are influencing their decisions, and how they feel. We talked a lot about Black boys being seen as adults too soon. I’d love for people to walk away from this and understand how vulnerable they are actually. 
JJ: You’ve said it basically. We’ve talked about the grey area, and that idea that we need to look at more of the complexity. Not the black and white, but the grey in between. That’s something that African, Caribeean people we’re not often afforded to do. And I think this is one very very strong example of humans exploring the grey within themselves. Despite being forced in a structure that for some reason doesn’t fit them. Or they’re being challenged by whilst trying their best to fit into it. So yeah, I echo what you’ve said completely. 

Brianna (TBP):
What does being Black mean to you? 

TJ: So many things. I think - I’m gonna do what I hate and bring whiteness into Blackness but what I mean is - I feel like with whiteness you are afforded individuality. We sometimes don’t allow that with Black people. And I think Blackness is colourful, I think Blackness is politicial, I think Blackness is soft, I think Blackness is strength, I think Blackness is so many things. We’re not a monolith. I think it’s so many different things. I also think to me, Blackness is whatever it wants to be. Whatever it means to each individual. 
JJ: I echo that. 
KD: You articulated that like, beautifully. 
MAL: I think that might be the full stop. 
All: (Laughing)

Choir Boy runs at the Bristol Old Vic from October 12th-November 11th. Tickets on sale now.