Black Power Desk – Brixton House, London

Black Power Desk at Brixton House is a new Black British musical that blends family drama, politics, and a vibrant and varied soundtrack to tell a story of resistance rooted in real history.

Black Power Desk

I can just about remember enough of my high school history classes to have a conversation about Rosa Parks. But I would find it harder to name her British counterparts, or to recount in detail the major moments of Black British civil rights. That’s what makes Black Power Desk such an important piece of theatre. Though fictionalised, Urielle Klein-Mekongo aims to redress this balance by firmly rooting her new musical in real events from the 1970s. That is to say when Black communities were facing systemic oppression, constant police surveillance, and targeted disruption by the so-called “Black Power Desk” inside Scotland Yard. Its story echoes the Mangrove Nine case: a business and community hub harassed by police, subsequent protest spiralling into arrests, and defendants who chose to represent themselves, exposing “racial hatred” in the Metropolitan Police.

At its heart, though, this is a story about two sisters. Celia (Rochelle Rose) is grieving their mother and aching for stability. Dina (Veronica Carabai) throws herself into activism: fundraising, organising, and leading protests. Their relationship is tested as they leave home and find their paths diverging. Celia is drawn to Jack (Tomos Eames), a Northern Irish musician who promises comfort, and Dina is consumed by both the fight for justice and her engagement to Jarvis (Alexander Bellinfantie). It’s this combination that makes the story hit home: the personal and political are always intertwined.

The second heart of the show is its music. With an original score from Renell Shaw and rapperturgy by Gerel Falconer (who is also amongst the cast), the blend of soul, reggae, ska and rap carries the story with energy and bite. The decision to bring in a rapper to write the rap bars proves inspired. The words feel authentic, cutting, and deeply connected to the history on stage. Over two and a half hours, the music lifts the audience from joy to outrage to tears.

Legacies that Persist Today

The production also weaves in history directly. Between scenes the lighting (Prema Mehta) shifts starkly, and we hear recordings of real news broadcasts and interviews. The police shooting of Cherry Groce in 1985, the New Cross Fire of 1981, amongst others. These interludes are deliberately jarring, cutting through the fictionalised story of Celia and Dina with reminders of lived experience. They ground the show in a wider arc of violence, resistance, and survival, underscoring why this story matters now.

That choice makes it clear why Black Power Desk anchors Brixton House’s Uprising Festival, marking 40 years since the Brixton Uprisings. Although the musical centres on the 1970s, it’s about the echoes into the 1980s and beyond, and the legacies that persist today. The festival framing gives the show added weight. The fictional story of two sisters sits alongside the voices of real people who faced systemic oppression and fought back.

Directed by Gbolahan Obisesan, the production is powerful but also deeply human. The performances are rich and layered, the music compelling, the singing outstanding (particularly Rose and Carabai), the story both accessible and challenging. At moments, the atmosphere in the room was overwhelming: outrage at the injustices, but also admiration for the solidarity and persistence that sustained communities through them.

The stories of the Black British civil rights movement, of state surveillance and of resilience, deserve to be widely known. Black Power Desk shares them with skill, urgency, and heart. It is a musical that educates, and inspires. Audiences in Brixton, and later on tour, are in for something special.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 4/5

Black Power Desk on at Brixton House until 28 September 2025 and then on tour. More info and tickets here.