Dreaming Whilst Black

Dreaming Whilst Black remains rich with funny, true observations, about the hypocrisies and degradations of working in TV, and Black British life in general.

Presumably, Dreaming Whilst Black faced some of the same challenges on its own way to the screen — and yet, none of that is apparent in the finished show, which feels as distinctive and undiluted a statement as any artist might hope for. Maybe it’s not quite Kwabena’s cherished Jamaica Road. But it feels very much like the sort of work a born storyteller might make in his dreams.

Dreaming Whilst Black livens up a fairly standard outline for a comedy series with an ensemble of outstanding performances, biting social satire, and a keen sense of its own identity that makes for one of the most rewarding watches of the year.

While Kwabena isn’t in a dead-end job anymore, Dreaming Whilst Black shows how much of a struggle it will be to get his voice heard in the entertainment industry, which may even be more insular than the outside world.

Dreaming Whilst Black is a funny take on how following your ambitions is much harder when you’re Black and facing a world of institutional racism, but the show doesn’t hesitate to give its main characters their own ambition-stalling quirks, as well.

This is a fresh and funny new voice and the switch between the fantasy life in Kwabena's head and disappointing reality is well done. Another series feels certain.

In Dreaming Whilst Black, the laughs are there and are balanced with prevalent conversations and everyday explorations about what it means to be Black in Britain.