Winner of the Channel 4 Playwright Scheme, Zodwa Nyoni (Nine Lives, Boi Boi is Dead) takes inspiration from personal experience in her new play, Ode to Leeds, premiering in the Courtyard Theatre where LEO OWEN caught the show

FRONT stage, five mics are illuminated by celestial spots, stripping back Lucy Sierra's two-tier scaffold set to ensure the power of language remains the true focus of Nyoni’s new play. Once a member of Leeds Young Authors, Nyoni uses this experience as the basis of the story, telling the tale of five young poets’ journey to perform at the prestigious “Brave New Voices” poetry slam in New York.

From the opening poetry performance, the story flashes back to three months before when the final member of Metaphonetics, Darcy (Leah Walker), joined the group. Her poem "Episode 17" showcases Walker’s phenomenal singing voice and raw emotion while winning her character, Darcy, the last spot on the team 18 poets have previously coveted. Describing themselves as a “tribe of orators”, the rest of the gang have come together through open mic nights and must now raise flight money and trip funds, through their reluctant captain, Queenie (Genesis Lyne), organising events like busking slams.

Projections of map locations tell the story of the group coming together and meeting to prepare/practise. From Seven Arts in Chapel Allerton to The Mandela Centre in Chapeltown and the rooftops of Seacroft, Nyoni’s story travels across the city but is more of an ode to youth and adolescence than Leeds itself. Sierra fluidly creates setting with minimal props, including a wheel on sofa, bed and table, never detracting from Nyoni’s poetic script. Director James Brining also utilises projection to create Leeds’ art gallery and cleverly includes live close-ups of cast member’s faces as they video call between locations.

Nyoni's characters are all believable, normal kids both from more privileged backgrounds and from the streets. The poems they perform are beautifully written, clearly channelling her inner poet and own teen experiences to explore both political issues and coming-of-age. Her cast are suitably angsty and when performing her poems speak with their entire body, clearly having benefitted from Andy Brooks’ coaching, the world-renowned rapper and beatboxer also known as Testament. As lovable rogue Mack, Archie Rush, is the most endearing of the team and gives the most naturalistic performance in a story arc that feels lacking.

Unconvincing love triangles and surprising plot twists let the team down but Nyoni’s impassioned poetry rouses a strong audience response. Ode to Leeds speaks to a generation who are the city’s future, in Nyoni’s words helping Leeds to “[shed] it skin, [reinvent] itself again and again".