Mandem

The Japanese have the Yakuzas, the Italians have the Mafi a, the Chinese have the Triads and the Jamaicans have the Yardies. Brace yourself for London’s addition to gangsterism. They are slick, they enjoy the most expensive things in life and they walk around ‘strapped’. Not a lot of their vocabulary can be found in the Oxford dictionary and if smoking weed was an Olympic sport 95% of them would be walking around with the gold. Emerging from the inner cities of London; ladies and gentlemen, ballers and crawlers, pimps and pimpettes, playas and playettes; I present to you none other than the MANDEM.

AN IRISH TIMES FICTION BOOK TO LOOK OUT FOR I’m going to tell you everything. I’m gonna tell you the whole story. Sometimes all it takes is a single message. Maybe it’s bad, like a rival top boy’s been switched off. Or maybe it’s good, like an opportunity you never thought you’d get. But opportunities mean risks, and debts, and you never want to owe anyone anything. Jaq’s worked hard on the road since she was fourteen, bringing in money to keep her broken family afloat. Now she’s built a good life near the top of the Summerhouse crew, with a beautiful home she shares with her girlfriend Becks and her heavily pregnant older sister Lauryn. But messages are coming in — good and bad — and Jaq has to make a choice: step back from the road and start a life she’s never even considered. Or seize her opportunities and risk everything for life-changing money. Either way, Jaq will make enemies. And those enemies aren’t going to let her go easily . . .

These two electric pieces of work originated from Brixton House's Housemates Festival in summer 2023, back to grace the stage for Housemates Returns in 2024. Is Dat U Yh? by dkfash: A time where laughter was free and nonsense was all we knew. Tamagotchis, Pokémon and alien babies. Tolu and the 'Back Of the Bus Queens' relive and rediscover their love of home, in this joyous and wacky adventure down memory lane. Surreal memories, short stories and nonsense! Theatre. Dance. Lyricism and school daze nostalgia! Before I Go by Tobi King Bakare: Ajani can talk. He can host parties, talk to girls, charm any living being. However, he finds it hard to express himself to the people he cares about the most. When he dies and gets stuck in Limbo, he is given an ultimatum: 'Learn how to "properly" communicate or remain here forever'. Ajani takes on the quest and embarks on a poetic journey of discovery, unlearning and healing. This edition was published to coincide with the start of the Housemates Returns productions at London's Brixton House Theatre in April 2024.