FAREWELL LEICESTER SQUARE

“FAREWELL LEICESTER SQUARE”

 A play written by Neil Gore 

 ‘Farewell Leicester Square’ tells the story of Bedford’s own Joe Clough, Britain’s first black bus driver.

 with original artwork by Scarlett Rickard and new music by Tayo Akinbode

Farewell Leicester Square”, an uplifting new production celebrating the extraordinary life of Joe Clough, Britain’s first black bus driver.

Born in Jamaica and brought to London in 1906, Joe embraced the dawn of the motor age, becoming one of the capital’s earliest bus drivers.

His remarkable journey took him from the battlefields of the First World War to the villages of Bedfordshire, where he transported communities, veterans, evacuee children and later, local families through his own taxi business.

Through music, movement and heartfelt storytelling, “Farewell Leicester Square” brings Joe’s inspiring life vividly to the stage; a story of courage, resilience and quiet determination that challenges assumptions about Black British history, reminding us that people of African and Caribbean heritage have been contributing to Britain’s life, industry and public service for generations before Windrush. Joyful, moving and uplifting, this is a celebration of an unsung pioneer whose legacy continues to inspire today.

 

 

 

 

REVIEWS

  • This is a joyous journey of a working-class immigrant...a trailblazer for those who were to follow... a truly delightful show.'
    Peter Yates
    Read the full review

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 He is remembered with great affection in Bedford to this day, as a modest, kind and gentle man.

 However modest his achievements may appear to be, Joe Clough was a trailblazer. His contribution is a testament to his determination to confront those that aimed to deny equality and opportunity for black people; it signalled a quiet resolve to confront any obstacles placed in his way that tried to diminish him, his ambitions and the world in which he lived.

TOUR DATES