JOY ISN’T ALWAYS JOY
Joy Isn’t Always Joy by Joseph Toonga
“There is an extraordinary sincerity in everything the dancers do … It is an enriching experience”
27 May, The Place
A raw, emotionally charged performance that explores the inner struggles of Black men. Joy Isn’t Always Joy by Joseph Toonga is a hip hop theatre work confronting imposed stereotypes, loneliness, and the pressure to remain composed – even when joy becomes a mask.
At the same time, the work creates space for connection and reflection. It centres brotherhood as a form of care – where vulnerability, tenderness, and shared experience become a source of strength. This idea is shaped in part by aquilombamento – a Brazilian concept rooted in histories of collective resistance, where communities come together to create spaces of protection, belonging, and mutual support.
The production has been developed in close collaboration with Brazilian artists and a Brazilian clinical psychotherapist, embedding lived experience, cultural perspective, and psychological reflection into the creative process.
This performance will be followed by a Post Show Talk facilitated by Independent Artists, Kurtis 'Kurtysift' Agyekum.
Tickets from £20.00 (plus concessions). Sign-up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about our monthly discounts and recommendations.