'Small Axe': Meet Letitia Wright, John Boyega, Malachi Kirby and rest of the cast of BBC/Amazon anthology series
One of Amazon Prime's latest offerings is Steve McQueen's (known for '12 Years a Slave') film anthology series, 'Small Axe'. The five films in 'Small Axe' centers around London’s West Indian community from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s and is inspired by real-life people. Spanning three decades, beginning with Enoch Powell’s “Rivers of Blood” speech, the anthology series is set in London’s West Indian community.
The five films included in the series are titled 'Mangrove', 'Lovers Rock', 'Education', 'Alex Wheatle', and 'Red, White and Blue'. The stories in the films are inspired by multiple real-life historical events and people, including The Mangrove Nine who clashed with London police in 1970, 1980s West London set a background of violence, romance and music, the unofficial segregation of Black children in the UK, award-winning writer Alex Wheatley who was thrown in prison during the Brixton Uprising of 1981, and Leroy Logan, who at a young age saw his father assaulted by two policemen, motivating him to join the Metropolitan Police and change their racist attitudes from within.
The anthology series is filled with actors with incredible credits to their names. The cast has credits such as the new 'Star Wars' trilogy, Marvel's 'Black Panther', 'Doctor Who' and more. Read on to know more about the actors who will be seen in 'Small Axe'.
John Boyega
John Boyega is a British-Nigerian actor, known for his work as Finn in the 'Star Wars' sequel trilogy. He will play the role of Leroy Logan in 'Red, White and Blue'. Leroy Logan is a former superintendent in the Metropolitan police and a former chair of the Black Police Association. Logan is a highly decorated and one of the most well-known black police officers, who is also a well-regarded public commentator and opinion former on policing of young people and minority ethnic communities.
Letitia Wright
Letitia Wright is a Guyanese-British actress, known for her work in 'Black Panther', 'Top Boy' and 'Coming Up'. She plays the role of Altheia Jones-LeCointe in 'Mangrove'. Altheia Jones-LeCointe is a Trinidadian physician and research scientist also known for her role as a leader of the British Black Panther Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1970, Jones was one of the nine protestors known as the Mangrove Nine who were arrested and tried on charges that included conspiracy to incite a riot following a protest against police raids of The Mangrove restaurant in Notting Hill.
Malachi Kirby
Malachi Kirby is an English actor known for his roles in 'Curfew', 'Devils' and 'Doctor Who'. He plays the role of Darcus Howe in 'Mangrove'. Darcus Howe was a British writer and racial justice campaigner. He was a member of the British Black Panthers and was one of the Mangrove Nine. He also organized a 20,000-strong "Black People's Day of Action" in protest at the handling of the investigation into the New Cross Fire, in which 13 black teenagers died.
Shaun Parkes
Shaun Parkes is an English actor known for his work in 'Doctor Who', 'Lost in Space' and 'Da Vinci's Demons'. He plays the role of Frank Crichlow in 'Mangrove'. Frank Crichlow was a British community activist and civil rights campaigner, who became known in 1960s London as a godfather of black radicalism. He was the owner of The Mangrove restaurant, the site of which nine Black activists were arrested.
'Small Axe' will premiere on Prime Video on Friday, November 20, with 'Mangrove'. Each film will be released weekly.