Playing Away

The Caribbean Brixton Conquistadores are a cricket team from London made up of West Indian immigrants. When the Conquistadores are invited to play a charity game against a rural Suffolk village side to cap off celebrations of “Third World Week”, members of both teams have their reservations. What is meant to be a genial weekend in the country produces unexpected results, both on and off the field of play.

Directed by pioneering Trinidad-born filmmaker Horace Ové from a screenplay by novelist Caryl Phillips, Playing Away is a comedy of manners that explores and undermines various stereotypes even as it links two similar-yet-different cultures. The film features a brilliant performance from the late Norman Beaton (Desmond of the hit TV series Desmond’s).