A long-unseen work by the late Chadwick Boseman is set to make its UK debut, bringing the actor’s powerful confrontation of police brutality to the London stage next year.
The play, Deep Azure, was written by Boseman in the aftermath of the killing of Prince Jones — a fellow student at Howard University — by an undercover police officer in 2000. First performed in the United States in 2005, Deep Azure combines lyrical verse with elements of hip-hop and classical drama to explore grief, injustice, Black identity, and the impact of loss.
The production will run at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse (part of Shakespeare’s Globe) from 7 February to 11 April 2026. It will be directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, who describes Deep Azure as “incredibly poignant in speaking about the injustices of police brutality and the unwinding nature of grief, but also the gorgeous brilliance of our Black Souls…”
It will form part of a dual programme at Shakespeare’s Globe, paired with a new staging of The Tempest, directed by Tim Crouch.
While Boseman is most widely known for his screen roles — particularly Black Panther and his Oscar-nominated performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — Deep Azure reveals an earlier dimension of his artistry: that of a dramatist engaging directly with social issues.
The play was commissioned by Derrick Sanders, a classmate of Boseman’s at Howard University, and reflects Boseman’s interest in blending forms — Shakespearean influence, hip-hop culture, poetic voice — to make something that is both emotionally raw and formally ambitious.
With global conversations continuing about systemic racism and police violence, the timing of Deep Azure’s UK premiere seems particularly resonant. Boseman’s work arrives not merely as art, but as a form of remembrance and a space for reflection and healing.
The staging at a venue like the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, known for intimate, atmospheric productions, promises a setting that can deepen the impact of Boseman’s words and themes.