Sheffield Theatres and Roots Mbili Theatre production by John Rwothomack about a Ugandan veteran and his granddaughter reliving the 1940s Burma campaign.
Never Look Back runs at The Crucible from 27 February to 13 March 2027, a Sheffield Theatres and Roots Mbili Theatre production written by John Rwothomack and directed by Daniel Bailey. Rwothomack calls the play Far Gone, and it centres on two people: Komakech 'Abba' Ogwang, a veteran haunted by dreams of battle, and his granddaughter Anena, who keeps urging him to share the story he's kept buried for so long. When he finally does, the narrative carries her back to the jungles of 1940s Burma.
That's where the King's African Rifles, led by British officers, faced the Japanese army. The play draws on the experiences of soldiers from across East and Southern Africa — Uganda, Kenya, Tanganyika, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland — who fought as part of the 11th East African Division. It's a piece of history that doesn't get much space in the usual accounts of the war, and the whole thing is framed through the relationship between two generations of one family.
There's a personal connection here, too. Rwothomack's own grandfather served as a signaller in Burma in 1944, and he's written about the subject in his Yorkshire Post column. He's spoken about wanting greater recognition for African wartime service through museums, monuments and public history, and this production brings those questions into the theatre.
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The run goes from 27 February to 13 March, with performances at 7:15pm, 7pm and 2pm. The 3 March show is already sold out, so if you're planning to go, it's worth checking the remaining dates sooner rather than later.
