ARINZÉ Kene’s one-man show Good Dog visits the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, for two nights next month as part of a national tour.

Performed by Kwaku Mills on February 12 and 13, Kene's story involves a mum promising her son a bike, so even when school or home life bites, he knows to keep his chin up, his head down and his shirt clean.

No harsh word, no sudden push to the ground, will distract him from growing up to be a good man because, in the end, everyone who's good receives what they deserve. Don’t they?

Set during the early 2000s, Good Dog tells the tale of growing up in a multi-cultural community, where the everyday injustices drive people to take back control. When prejudiced voices are amplified, the arts must remind us of the humans obscured within the propaganda storm, says Kene's play.

Kene's inspiration for such a fearless piece of writing stemmed from a desire to imagine what drove his friends and community to riot in the summer of 2011 – in London and beyond – but it has become a chronicle of a community struggling to survive and fighting back.

Good Dog is being toured in a revival by Tiata Fahodzi and Tara Finney Productions, in association with the Watford Palace Theatre, in a production directed by Tiata Fahodzi's artistic director, Natalie Ibu.

"It’s a real thrill to be able to bring back Arinzé’s play – an astonishing love letter to the people and places that leave their mark on your life – and tour it to more places, meeting more people," says Natalie.

"In the wake of the Brexit vote, it was a troubling thesis about what happens when you are unseen and unheard, and this only gets louder as time goes on. At Tiata Fahodzi we pride ourselves in seeking out stories that see those who sit outside the singular narrative. We refuse to oversimplify the African diaspora and, instead, relish the complexity. We want to multiply the narratives – about ourselves and each other – and debate the mixed experience of Britain today and tomorrow."

Actor Kwaku Mills says he is "beyond excited to be joining Good Dog". "I’ve admired Arinze‘s work for a while now, so it’s a real honour to get to perform his words. It’s such a vibrant, intelligent, urgent play, and a gift of a character to work on."

Good Dog can be seen at the SJT at 7.45pm on February 12 and 1.30pm on February 13. Box office: 01723 370541 or at sjt.uk.com.

Charles Hutchinson