#SESAI

[pierppasolini]

Young Soul Rebels (1991) // dir. Isaac Julien

[theleoisallinthemind]

Omar Sesay photographed by Steve Hall, 2019

[imnotshua]

series masterlist | sorry every song's about you - jww

٠࣪⭑ pairing: jeon wonwoo x fem reader ٠࣪⭑ summary: you and wonwoo are better off as lovers and not the other way around ٠࣪⭑ genre: childhood friends to lovers, smut, fluff, angst, college au ٠࣪⭑ rating: explicit. minors do not interact with me, i'll block you. ٠࣪⭑ warnings: see individual instalments ٠࣪⭑ wc: 5.4k and 17.7k, both complete ٠࣪⭑ a/n: works in this series feature the same couple at different stages of their lives. you can read them individually and out of order. later down the line, there will be at least one more fic, and a few drabbles. based on fall out boys from under the cork tree, because i have so many feelings about that album. answered questions & more thoughts under #sesay couple

taglist | playlist | main svt masterlist

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2006 progress report: i am missing you to death 17.7k, smut, fluff, angst wonwoo wastes time dreaming of being alive. 2002 joke me something awful 5.4k, smut fluff, angst you ask wonwoo to take you home. later, he wonders why you haven't been doing this the whole time.

[k-wame]

Jesse Eisenberg as Ralphie & Sallieu Sesay as Ahmet Manodrome (2023) · dir. John Trengove

[rebu72]

[onchillvybz]

[dark69skin]

Omar Sesay

[emergefromthenoise]

Violent delights and violent ends – a tragic lovers' tale.

All the world's a stage... Indeed, so the whole theatre becomes exactly that: from the rooftop (a distant and isolated Mantua), to the backstage corridors and fire escapes standing in for meandering streets of Verona or foyer turning into Capulet's house's halls. Use it all. And at the same time focus on the word: darkness engulfing the stage where vulnerable characters bare their desires. Micro expressions on display as cameras follow the actors around. Lights. Camera. A story of love and hate. A tragedy weaved by fate. Timeless tale.

Some raised the alarm as the casting revealed Francesca Amewudah-Rivers as Juliet, claiming it wasn't true to Shakespeare's spirit. Well, I, for one, am glad that it wasn't. Not that I have anything against men in tights, but that would be a different play entirely. Also may I remind everyone we would be subjected to some pre-teen, prepubescent males with their falsetto trying to nail Juliet's voice timbre. And Nurse's too. But then we would have been deprived of seeing such brilliant performances from Francesca and Freema [Agyeman] which would be simply a travesty. And all in a name of staying true to the original text (may I add also well known fact – Shakespeare's not so secret and nice tendency to “borrow” from other's work thus him being not so original himself).

Even though my first reaction to Freema being cast as a Nurse was: she's too young! Because in my head this character is this elderly matron rather than witty and lively Nanny. But that's the beauty of theatre and interpretation: anything goes! And oh, boy how it worked!

Francesca's Juliet is so youthful, gentle, so full of passion. One's heart sinks seeing her heart's woes. Tom's Romeo has boyish charm, rage and love so bound together it boils. His Romeo is impulsive, emotional, he brings laughter and choked silence as one observes his character being played by fate. Let's not forget Juliet is the driving force. She's “yes” or “no”, black or white, ultimatum giving kind of girl. And Romeo? Well, he's both romantic (grand gestures much?) and... well, he's a fuckboy (how fast Rosalind is in his rearview mirror, huh?). But then he's Juliet's fuckboy and heaven is not on their side.

Maybe I'm a cynic when I look at this great romance and frown and childish overreactions and hyperboles. But these two [Francesca and Tom], they're so gentle and pure, so deep, that one quickly invests in their budding feelings and looks upon them with softness knowing too well what's glooming over. The tragic face of star crossed lovers.

But these two aren't the only ones shining bright on that stage. Mercutio always has been one of my favourite characters – flamboyant, fast with words and weapons, mad or is he? Harold Perrineau made such an impact with his Mercutio [in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo+Juliet], even though not on stage, there was no other version of this character for me. But I dare to say Joshua-Alexander Williams comes real close or maybe even matches the performance. Which is incredible considering it's his professional debut. Exuberant, cheeky sidekick, cursed... and cursing the feuding families. Seemingly insane with his flowery talk turns out to be the voice of reason and prophecy in the end.

The staging is stripped back, functional, raw in it's simplicity, but not dull. Focus is on the actors and the text. Blaring music and flashing lights prevent the audience from being too comfortable in their seat – it's a tragedy after all.

'Romeo and Juliet', a tale as old as overplayed. Yet, always attracting both actors ready to add their version to the pile and crowds eager to see lovers' tragic fate onstage (and/or on screen).

Shakespeare's plays always were the entertainment for the masses, even the tragedies have characters being bigger or smaller 'comic relief'. In 'Romeo and Juliet' it would be surely the Nurse, but thanks to Freema's brilliance this character is so much more than crazy old lady. The wit is her weapon of choice, true, but the emotions and layers that spill out thanks to Freema shine a new light on this character.

It takes a special kind of talent to breathe a new life into the text and a play as a whole (and the assemble did a marvellous job at it!), especially one so well-known, played so many times that people think they have seen it all. But Jamie Lloyd has carved a reputation for himself and his innovative and bold approach (and vivisection) is doing only favours to dusty classics. It is an unmissable event.

---

William Shakespeare's ROMEO & JULIET.

Dir.: Jamie Lloyd

Cast: Tom Holland, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Ray Sesay, Nima Taleghani, Joshua-Alexander Williams, Callum Heinrich, Kody Mortimer

In Duke of York's Theatre, London from 13 May to 3 August 2024

[Photo from Duke of York's Theatre]

[byneddiedingo]

Young Soul Rebels (Isaac Julien, 1991)

Cast: Valentine Nonyela, Mo Sesay, Dorian Healy, Frances Barber, Sophie Okonedo, Jason Durr, GaryMcDonald, Debra Gillett, Eamonn Walker, James Bowers, Billy Braham, Wayne Norman, Danielle Scillitoe. Screenplay: Paul Hallam, Derrick Saldaan McClintock. Cinematography: Nina Kellgren. Production design: Derek Brown. Film editing: John Wilson. Music: Simon Boswell. 

[pierppasolini]

Young Soul Rebels (1991) // dir. Isaac Julien

[nerds-yearbook]

On December 1, 1955, in order for historical events to get back on track, the time traveling alien known as the Doctor (13) and her companions had to refuse to give up their seats, so that Rosa Parks would be arrested and help spur on the Civil Rights movement. ("Rosa", Doctor Who vlm 3, TV)

[k-wame]

JESSE EISENBERG as Ralphie & SALLIEU SESAY as Ahmet Manodrome (2023) · dir. John Trengove

[rebu72]

[imnotshua]

bee if u dont mind me asking what happened to sesay couple between 2002 and 2006?

i will literally never mind a question about these two 🥹 thank you for asking!!

have you ever been in your head so much that you miss the opportunity to say something? it’s like that. he calls it quits because he’s thinking he’s not enough, she thinks he doesn’t want her like that. so they do that thing people do where they bury themselves in work, seek out other people, the usual.

but they still have to see each other, right? they still want to, because they’re like plants with deep roots, and their roots are all mixed together under the surface and breaking apart completely would mean ripping apart themselves.

so they fall back into old patterns and over time it becomes easier to pretend what they had together didn’t mean as much as it did. but that doesn’t work forever. things get messy when feelings are involved

[modelsof-color]

Omar Sesay by Tarik Atallah for Numero Netherlands Magazine July 2023