A new series of short films exploring why people become homeless has been made by Cardboard Citizens, a charity that uses drama and performance to transform the lives of those who have lived experienced of homelessness, in association with Black Apron Entertainment. Each film is written and performed by people who have experienced homelessness. This week’s film is Ozwald Boateng, If You Must, written by Roy Williams and performed by David Olapoju. The protagonist is Johnny, a Big Issue vendor. He may be a character in the film but his experiences reflect those of vendors across the country.
“This is my first day, but I just need a minute,” Johnny begins. He is nervous about standing on the street as a vendor, bringing attention to himself. But this reminds him of other times he stood out.
“Believe it or not, but I had a very expensive suit once. Ozwald Boateng, if you must,” he says.
Life has changed, due to loss, prejudice, anger. Johnny recalls he had “a good job, banging car. So banging, I would lose count the amount of times the police would pull me over.”
The film is written by Roy Williams, one of the UK’s leading dramatists. He was awarded an OBE for services to drama in 2008 and made a fellow of The Royal Society of Literature in 2018. His theatre work includes the state-of-the-nation trilogy Death of England (co-written with Clint Dyer) and the Olivier Award-nominated Sucker Punch. For TV, film and radio he has written Babyfather, Offside, Fast Girls, eight series of BBC Radio 4’s The Interrogation and Bafta-nominated Death of England: Face to Face and Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle.
‘Everyone has a story – they must do. We are humans, our life is a story’
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There is a saying about storytelling. If you want to know where the best unsaid stories are, go to the graveyard. There are hundreds, thousands even, of people with untold stories. Stories about love, grief, pain, everything.