Rickerby Hinds’ acclaimed hip-hop theatre production Dreamscape will return to London this summer following its award-winning Edinburgh Fringe run and critically praised engagement at the Omnibus Theatre earlier this year.
The production heads to the Arcola Theatre after earning a five-star review from The Guardian, which described the show as “a dazzling, disturbing experience … A dream of hope and a nightmare from beyond the grave all at once.”
Written and directed by pioneering playwright Rickerby Hinds, Dreamscape fuses beatboxing, spoken word and hip-hop dance in a powerful examination of race, violence and memory.
Inspired by the true story of Tyisha Miller, a 19-year-old Black woman fatally shot by California police officers while unconscious in her car, the play reimagines her final moments through the fictionalised character of Myeisha Mills.
Structured around an autopsy report delivered by a detached coroner, the production contrasts the horrifying details of Myeisha’s death with vivid memories of her life, from dancing and softball to first love and self-expression.
Earlier this year, Dreamscape made its New York premiere through a partnership between 59E59 Theaters and SoHo Playhouse. The production has also received six NAACP Los Angeles nominations, winning four awards including Best Director, Best Lead Actor and Best Lead Actress.
Hinds, widely recognised as one of the pioneers of hip-hop theatre in the United States, said: “If theatre is a tool for liberation, then we must find the places where the arts intersect with real life… Dreamscape was a reluctant creation born out of necessity.”
