Big Life, REVIEW :: Drama

Big Life, REVIEW â€Å"The play/ musical is about a group of black people coming to England, from the Caribbean islands, in search for a better standard of living and hopefully to get a good job and settle there. The play just explains what the different people have to put up, and how their lives have become after coming to England. It shows how they resist women, how they fight off racism and of how they try to fulfil their ambitions in England. It is set back in the 1950’s, where the country was very white- dominated, and English people were not accustomed to having people of other cultures around them. It is a very touching musical; with that little bit of comedy, added by Mrs Aphrodite, a member of the audience, talking of her own experiences in the 50’s. Full of life and music, and very engaging! SYNOPSIS: The Big Life starts off with all the men, and Sybil coming to England. Sybil and Bernie, who are engaged, break up because Bernie thinks that she was flirting with another man. The men all together decide to make a pact. This says that they will finish having things like cigarettes and alcohol; sleep just 4 hours per night; fast once a week and no relationships with women, and make a  £5 bet with admiral that they will stick to what they say. The next scene is in the B&B, where Zulieka, Mary and Kathy are sitting and doing odd jobs, when Sybil enters. She tells them of how she broke up with Bernie, and the women all decide that they no longer want anything to do with men. Meanwhile, the men are on a tube looking for somewhere to stay, and someone mentions the B&B, but Bernie says he’d rather sleep on the streets. They decide in the end to go there and get rooms. The women continue to talk of how useless men are. Then in Piccadilly Circus, Admiral and Jacqueline the prostitute are sitting eating chips, when Lennie and Dennis enter, complaining they have still not found a job and how rude people are being to them. The reverend enters and starts preaching, and Admiral is insulted as he feels he is implying that he plays the devil’s music, so plays louder. The members of the congregation start singing and Lennie and Dennis have an argument. In the B&B, Bernie enters in his new postman’s uniform, and Sybil exits. Zulieka explains that the other man she was talking to was an uncle of hers. Ferdy and Zulieka discuss his book and some memories.