The first ever play by acclaimed writer Zadie Smith will be performed as part of Brent’s year-long Borough of Culture celebrations.
The novelist, whose first book White Teeth was a huge best-seller, grew up in the borough and The Wife of Willesden will be performed at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn next year.
It is based on Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Tale from the Canterbury Tales and is described as a re-imagining of the original that “will raise important questions about the place of women in society”. The Kiln staged an adaptation of White Teeth last year as part of its opening season following a multi-million pound refurbishment.
Brent’s plans for next year, which were launched today, also include a huge open-air dance performance in Wembley, a mile-long street party down Kilburn High Road and a celebration of the area’s contribution to the rise of reggae, hip-hop and grime with performances in Harlesden.
The MOBO awards will also be held at the SSE Arena in Wembley.
Brent is the second borough to take on the role after Waltham Forest won the bid to hold the inaugural event.
MOBO founder Kanya King said: “We felt empowered to bring Mobo back to Brent to coincide with the borough’s Year of Culture because this is where our fight to challenge the status quo to create a level playing field started.
“We are returning with even more determination and energy to support and boost our culture.”
