'as the mother of a brown boy...' is the true story of Mischa Niering - a nineteen year old former student of Chickenshed. Told through the voice of his mother, it is the story of the life and tragic death of a mixed heritage boy who died whilst being chased by a police car.

'as the mother of a brown boy ...'

Chickenshed Theatre presents 'as the mother of a brown boy ...'

Three percent of Birmingham's population describe themselves as mixed heritage and it is anticipated that by 2020 they will represent the largest ethnic minority group. So what are the implications for the City and its residents? Some potential issues are explored through 'as the mother of a brown by ..' by Chickenshed.

'as the mother of a brown boy...' is the true story of Mischa Niering - a nineteen year old former student of Chickenshed. Told through the voice of his mother, it is the story of the life and tragic death of a mixed heritage boy who died whilst being chased by a police car. We see his whole life played out as she remembers it: the racism he encountered at school, the gangs he became involved with, the absent father who he idolised so much. Interspersed with this are extracts from the Coroner's report which detail how he died and ultimately whether the policeman who was pursuing him was responsible for his death. Using dance, physical theatre, music and multimedia, you are confronted with a young boy's struggle for identity and belonging in a multi-racial society. 'as the mother of a brown boy...' takes you on a stark journey to find the truth behind an individual’s life: choices made; relationships lost and found; self-fulfilling prophecies; injustice; but most importantly, love.

The mother says: "as the mother of a brown boy I ask myself what have I created for him? What have I put upon him that he doesn't see his own reflection positively - where he is constantly shifting his gaze to focus and fit other people's perception of him? What have I brought this son into that I have to work much harder to make his footprint seen?"

Chickenshed is passionate in the belief that Mischa's death should not be in vain. They are telling his story the way it was: the decisions he made and the paths he took, which were not always the right choices but not always actual choices either. Chickenshed hope that Mischa's story will encourage others to question the undercurrent of discrimination and subtlety of racism in society and give a voice to those involved in the pursuit of justice.

The piece is made even more poignant as most of the cast members were Mischa's friends. The director, Christine Niering was Mischa's aunt and David Rubin who plays Mischa's father in the production was Mischa's Godfather.

What the critics have to say:

"Vivid and compelling" Time Out Critics Choice ****

"A powerfully emotive piece" The Times ***

"Universally relevant" The Observer "An urgent and heartfelt evening" The Independent

"A cultural phenomenon" The Stage

"An important piece of theatre that young people should see" Fringe Review ****

Thursday night's performance will be hosted by INQUEST and The Friends of Mikey Powell Campaign and is dedicated to Mikey Powell, the cousin of renowned poet and writer Benjamin Zephaniah. Mikey was killed whilst in police custody in 2003. INQUEST is a campaign charity which supports the families of people who have died in custody.

The show will be touring nationally and will be at The Drum from Thu 21 May to Sat 23 May 2009 for three nights plus a matinee.