Enfield Caribbean Association (ECA) recently took a group of around 35 members, volunteers, and elders from the Friday Luncheon Club to see Chickenshed Company’s spring production, The Wrong They Knew.

Inspired by real events, the play tells a powerful story of courage, community, and the fight to be heard. Featuring a cast of 180 young performers of all abilities, it vividly recreates 1950s London—a time of cultural change, tension, and racial division.

Set against this backdrop, the story follows a group of children and teenagers who use humour, curiosity, and friendship to navigate a divided society. Through music, movement, and multimedia storytelling, the production highlights the experiences of the Windrush generation and the strength of communities coming together to overcome prejudice. While reflecting the challenges of the era, the play also celebrates resilience and hope, showing how people from different backgrounds sought unity and belonging despite adversity.

This excellent production explores themes of justice, racial inequality, and youth experiences, echoing the spirit of influential works such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Small Island, and I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

ECA attendees praised the performance highly, describing it as West End quality on their doorstep in Enfield.

ECA Chair Oveta McInnis said:
“The depiction of this part of our recent history was excellent and often overlooked. The way young people explored and addressed racism was brilliant. The acting, singing, and choreography were outstanding.”

Enfield Mayor, Councillor Margaret Greer, added:
“It was very, powerful. It was almost like a lived experience. The cast were just superb. The music, dramatisation gave the audience the feeling they were in that moment. You could actually feel the vulnerability of the characters and with great orchestration of what happened in that time. It was a reflective piece of drama.”

Luncheon Club member Hyacinth Pooran said:
“This play was wonderful. I loved the energy and enthusiasm of the young performers. It was a fantastic evening.”

ECA’s next cultural event is the Black Film Club screening of Milestones:Streets paved with Gold on Wednesday 22nd April at 7pm at the Dugdale Arts Centre. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.dugdaleartscentre.co.uk/whats-on/milestone-streets-paved-with-gold or call the Box Office 0800 640 3928.