The temptation of easy money culminated in him being caught in the back of a security van full of money
Frank Skully has been hard at work in South London theatres in recent years and always lights up my radar because of the gritty nature of his work; he makes theatre that is very relatable, writes Michael Holland.
His self-penned, one-man show “Every Sinner has a Future – Every Saint has a Past” at Peckham’s Mountview Theatre told of his life growing up in London with parents of the Windrush Generation and how he ended up trapped in a revolving door of committing crime and going to jail.
But even during the years spent in and out of prison, Skully knew there was something better for him. He recalls an early chance that led to him thinking about making changes: ‘In 1995 I got an amazing opportunity of several weeks’ day release to work under the director Simon Callow in an opera at Broomhill Theatre in Kent. After the production ended I immediately signed myself up to do a Drama & Theatre course at Rochester College.’
Alas, his next taste of freedom and the temptation of easy money culminated in him being caught in the back of a security van full of money after the crooked driver had lured Frank in to ‘robbing’ him.
That cycle of crime ended when Synergy Theatre project visited Brixton Prison, while Mr Skully was on remand for the fake robbery, to put on a production of Elmina’s Kitchen. They cast Frank in one of the lead roles. ‘When my trial date arrived, instead of the judge sending me to prison he sent me on a theatre tour with Synergy instead,’ he says now with as much surprise as he felt that day in court. The play asked the question ‘Could you be born into crime?’ and how the narrative could be changed.
The next time Frank Skully came to the attention of this publication was when he was involved in a short film about boxer Frank Lucas. This was turned into a stage play called Going For Gold at the Chelsea Theatre and garnered awards for the team that put it together: Brighton Fringe Award and three awards at the Black British Theatre Awards – best actor, best production play and best producer.
With much film and theatre work under his belt, Frank is now back on stage with Kiss Marry Kill. Written by Daphna Attias, James Baldwin and Terry O’Donovan, it tells the story of Jay and Paul, two inmates both serving life sentences for homophobic murders. Incredibly, they fall in love and seek permission to marry. Frank Skully plays the prison governor who has to make the decision whether to allow this wedding to go ahead.
The Kiss Marry Kill blurb says that the play ‘zeroes in on the limits of our compassion, challenging our assumptions and preconceptions around sexuality, and the criminal justice system.’
After we had managed to stop laughing at the idea of this former armed robber and long-term prisoner playing the role of a prison governor, I asked why he got involved: ‘It’s a fascinating story about a world that even in prison is swept under the carpet by the powers that be, so to have a play depicting that world for the public motivated me to be a part of the process telling that story.’
Why is it fascinating?
‘It’s a fascinating story inspired by the first same-sex marriage to take place in a UK prison. Our play is a fictionalised tale that centres on Jay and Paul. We see Jay commit a horrendous LGBTQ+ hate crime and follow him into his life in prison, where he meets Paul. Slowly, they start a hidden relationship, eventually asking to get married, which has never happened in any prison, so everybody is confounded by it.
‘The cast are an amazing group of people who are putting so much energy into everything. We’re at the point where we’re making music in the rehearsal room with sound designers and Lady Lykez is writing lyrics on the fly for the production. It’s exciting.’
Are you looking forward to the tour?
‘Can’t wait! It’s going to be really special to see this story in places like Sheerness and Reading and Norwich. I think audiences are going to be buzzing.’
What next for you after this?
‘After this I start work on a national and Caribbean tour for the play Going for Gold.’
Kiss Marry Kill comes to London in April.
Stone Nest, 136 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 5EZ from 16 April – 27 April.
Mon to Sat at 7.30pm.
Booking and full tour details: danteordie.com
