When ambitious young black accountant Kofi achieves his dreams of working as a Wall Street banker, it’s as if all his dreams have come true. This, and his relationship with attractive co-worker Gia, shows how far he has come from his humble upbringings. However, when his personal and business aspirations are put to the test following a workplace incident, Kofi finds himself torn between ambition and morality.

Written and performed by Quaz Degraft, the script expertly balances comedy and drama in chronicling Kofi’s rise to the top. Early moments, such as a teenage Kofi’s run in with the police and him living it up with Gia and fellow co-workers, allow Degraft to display precise comic timing and physical dexterity as he mimes doing shots and matches the quick-fire wit of his dialogue.

Similarly, the one-man nature of the production means that Degraft has to take on multiple roles – a task that even more experienced performers would find daunting. However, he pulls it off incredibly well, convincingly inhabiting each supporting character in a way that shows off his considerable acting range. His most impressive supporting role is that of Kofi’s Ghanaian father, embodying the man’s early strictness and ambition, as well as his later vulnerability with an authenticity that provides the character with a three-dimensional humanity.

The later sections of the play enable Degraft to display his dramatic skills in his depiction of Kofi’s internal conflict and the degree to which it consumes him. As a writer, his handling of the incident that serves as a turning point for Kofi shows a precise sensitivity towards a hot-button issue currently affecting businesses that doesn’t attempt to downplay or sensationalise it or the people involved.

Degraft also shows off his impressive musical skills with singing and guitar playing, both in light-hearted karaoke numbers and in more serious and reflective guitar pieces. This one-man-band approach is what makes In the Black so engaging and marks him out as one to watch out for in the future.

In the Black is at Daisy at Underbelly, Bristo Square until Mon 31 Aug 2026