A Jamaican family gathers for a Nine Night wake as secrets surface during mourning.
When Gloria dies, her family comes together for the traditional Jamaican Nine Night, a nine-day mourning ritual marked by food, music, storytelling, and remembrance. As relatives, friends, and neighbours gather in the family home, old grievances and long-buried secrets begin to emerge. Over the course of the wake, tensions rise as family members confront difficult truths about their relationships and shared history.
The production is written by Natasha Gordon, whose debut play premiered at the National Theatre in 2018 before transferring to the West End. This new staging is directed by Amit Sharma (Retrograde, Please Please Me), Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Kiln Theatre.
Blending humour with the realities of grief, the play explores family dynamics across generations while centring the customs and traditions of Jamaican Nine Night celebrations. Set in a London family home, the story unfolds over the days following Gloria's death as the gathering grows and unresolved conflicts come to the surface.
