Lauryn Ajufo and Anthony Simpson-Pike are growing up with Chewing Gum Dreams

After first appearing in 2012, Tracey Gordon is back in Chewing Gum Dreams, and according to director Anthony Simpson-Pike and actor Lauryn Ajufo, she still has plenty to teach us.

For Anthony, reviving Michaela Coel's groundbreaking debut wasn't simply about revisiting a “modern classic”.

As the recently appointed Artistic Director of Theatre503, this is Simpson-Pike's first season. 

"It's a play that changed theatre," he says. "Not just because of who Michaela is now, but because of what the play did when it arrived. It created space for stories that weren't being told."

That impact is something that feels particularly important today.

Credit: Ikin Yum

"We've made progress," Anthony reflects, "but when you look at the themes, the conversations around race, class, education, young women navigating the world, they're still incredibly relevant. In some ways, they feel even more urgent."

At the centre of those conversations is Tracey. Loud, funny, frustrating, vulnerable and utterly determined, she's a character many audience members recognise immediately, whether from their own teenage years or someone they knew growing up.

For Ajufo, stepping into Tracey's trainers has been both exciting and unexpectedly emotional.

"She's hilarious," she says with a laugh. "The first thing that drew me to her was how funny she is. She's got this confidence and this mouth on her that makes everything entertaining."

But as rehearsals progressed, another side of Tracey began to emerge.

"What really struck me was how lonely she is," Lauryn admits. "I don't think I realised that at first. She's constantly performing. She's constantly trying to make people laugh or prove that she's alright. Underneath that, she's actually carrying a lot."

It's that duality that makes Chewing Gum Dreams so compelling. One moment audiences are laughing at Tracey's observations about school, boys or family life. Next, they're confronted by the realities hiding beneath the jokes.

"It's very British, isn't it?" Anthony jokes. "Something terrible happens and we make a joke about it. That's kind of Tracey's survival mechanism."

Lauryn agrees.

"Humour is her armour," she says. "She uses it to protect herself. And I think a lot of people do that. You laugh because the alternative is having to sit in the feeling."

That balance between comedy and pain is something both actor and director have worked hard to honour.

"We didn't want to sanitise her," Anthony explains. "She's messy. She's complicated. She's impulsive. But that's what makes her human."

The production also explores the often-overlooked experience of young Black girls, particularly the ways they are expected to grow up before they're ready.

"There's this expectation placed on young Black girls to be resilient all the time," Lauryn says. "To just deal with things. Reading the play now, there are moments where I think, 'She's only fourteen.'"

It's a thought Anthony returned to repeatedly during rehearsals.

"One question we kept asking was: who gets to be a child?" he says. "Who gets the grace to make mistakes, to be immature, to get things wrong? Tracey is constantly being pushed towards adulthood, whether she's ready or not."

Yet despite the weightier themes, the pair are clear that Chewing Gum Dreams remains filled with joy.

"There's so much life in it," says Lauryn. "There's music, there's energy, there's excitement. Tracey is dreaming all the time. That's part of what makes her so lovable."

Asked to describe Tracey in a few words, Lauryn exclaims.

"Funny. Smart. Awkward. Fierce."

Anthony adds his own.

"Witty. Loving. Defiant."

They paint the picture of a teenager many of us once were, full of contradictions and desperately trying to figure things out while pretending we've already got all the answers.

That's perhaps why Chewing Gum Dreams continues to resonate with audiences years after it first appeared. It's not simply a story about one girl's childhood. It's a reminder of how complicated growing up can be.

Watching Tracey now feels a bit like looking back on your old school photos. You smile. You cringe. You wonder why on earth you were wearing your skirt like that. But you also feel a deep tenderness for the young Black  girl staring back at you.

As Lauryn puts it: "I think if I met Tracey, I'd probably tell her to relax a little bit. Not because things become easy, but because she survives more than she thinks she will."

Perhaps that's the magic of Chewing Gum Dreams.

It understands that growing up is rarely graceful. It's awkward, chaotic, funny and sometimes heartbreaking.

But, with a little bit of luck, we might make it through the night.

Chewing Gum Dreams plays at Theatre503 until 17 Oct. You can join the waitlist for tickets by emailing boxoffice@theatre503.com