Legacy, history and émigré’s with Ivanno Jeremiah

A few weeks ago, I sat down with Ivanno Jeremiah - an incredible actor who stars as Sidney Poitier in Ryan Calais Cameron’s latest West-End hit, Retrograde at the Apollo Theatre. 

What has it been like for you embodying Sidney Poitier, and what is your process of stepping into character? 

Sidney Poitier is an icon, a monolith. He was the first Black man to win an Oscar, in 1964. He has a career that spanned from Harry Truman, through to Joe Biden. He spent 50 years on our screens. 2 Grammys, the Oscar, a Tony Award. He was also an excellent writer, an activist - heavily involved in the Civil Rights movement. So getting cast for such a role, it's like no pressure, right? 

This is a man who's come from, effectively, a village in the Bahamas. He’s moved into a very different pace of life. [In Retrograde], we meet Sidney at 28 in 1955, he has two kids, plus one on the way. But he hasn't been able to find work in New York for the past three years. Because of some of the people Sidney was affiliated with, he found himself on somewhat of a blacklist.

Some of the parallels within his life keep doubling up on me every now and again. I haven't exactly had the same experience as Sidney, but I've been doing this for 15 years. I’ve worked in some pretty major things, and yet you can’t predict the temperature of things in this climate. 

So yeah, there was so much I could connect with. My family is from East Africa. I was born in Uganda. Came over when I was one month old and my father's from Rwanda. We're from a working class, single parent household. 

This is the second time I've played Sidney. The first time around I had just lost someone very close to me. This job came along around the same time and I had to ask myself, “do I do it or not?” When I accepted, the whole process became merged with working through all that grief. This play ended up being the biggest gift then. So I went all in. I watched all the films, listened to all of his audio books, read everything I could. His autobiography ‘This Life’ gave me the best insight to start breaking down this icon monolith. His candor is amazing, and he's not ashamed of sharing the struggle of his life. 

Not only did he remind me of the sadly deceased my brother, but he reminds me of the magical émigré’s and a lot of people I've grown up around. 

That spirit of experiencing it for the first time, knowing that you've already lived a life beyond measure or expectations, is quite a beautiful and honorable journey. 

Stepping back into it the second time, I had my old playlists. I had the audio books downloaded, and a chance to sort of refresh myself on all of the films that he did, which gave me great comfort at that time. 

Before a show, I listen to music popular from the Harlem golden era. I love jazz, and I have quite a few friends involved in the Instrumental Jazz movement in South London

It’s all mind, body, soul. I do yoga and I yodel and listen to some audiobook or music or that sort of activates the spirit of Sidney. 

How have you found audience responses to this production in the West End compared to the Kiln?

I've been on the West End three times now, in very different plays. With this show,

We already experienced quite an active audience at the Kiln. But you've got such a varied audience on the West End. You have people who aren't theater goers, you have walk-ins. You have people with different agendas, some just on their phones or some who decide it's a great time to have a crunchy snack.

The genius in Ryan's writing is that despite the subject matter being sometimes polarizing and actually heart wrenching, these situations that he forces the audience to watch are based on historical events. He dares to make people laugh at some of these dark and horrible moments.

It's been a dream to be a witness of the reception of the work at the same time as playing it.

On the press night, we had a fantastic musician from South London who I love, who almost made me break, by just going “Mmmhmm” through a crucial moment. So, you know, sort of seeing, not only for the honor of having a West End audience settled and quite locked in, which is often the case, in stitches they're emoting at the same time. 

To see such a multicultural audience, people of different demographics, races, cultures etc, whilst being located next door to Oliver, Les Mis and Hadestown. 

The Kiln was like a 250 odd audience, here the capacity is 700+. In a two show day, we've spoken to over 1000 people on this subject matter. And some of our audience have never even heard of Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte or Paul Robeson. It's a blessing and an honor to share it here in a bigger arena for you know.

Did the script change at all between the transfer?

I love how rigorous Ryan is, but he’s also really flexible. The first time around, we were knocking around ideas. This time around, we have two new actors, the fantastic Stanley Townsend, who I've worked with before, and Oliver Johnstone. So with two new bodies, it's changed slightly but just in terms of the actor’s interpretation.

If you could speak to your younger, recent, broader graduate self, what advice would you have for him? What would you say to him?

That patience is a virtue. You don't have the luxury of dramatic irony, or knowing that there's an arc while you're in it. But then also to contradict myself on the same point, don't be too patient. Don't wait! Get it now. In the play, Sid says, “I want it now, whilst I still have my hair and my teeth”.

Believe in your instincts. But don't be ashamed to take what's yours. Do the stuff that scares you!

What does it mean to you to be part of this production?

It’s a dream.

Ryan Calais Cameron is an electric writer, who’s been on the west end for three years on the trot. Queens of Sheba, For Black Boys and Retrograde. He's a very important writer for now, and what he’s done fantastically in this play, is in its authenticity. 

Our producers are Colman Domingo and Nica Burns. Colman Domingo, who like Sidney, is a Tony and Olivier Award nominated actor. But he’s also on the founders committee Sidney Poitier initiative. So it's good to know that we're tied in with the actual legacy. It's been a dream to work with the Kiln’s now Artistic Director Amit Sharma again.

If you put the three of us together. Amit Sharma is of South Asian descent, disabled. Ryan Calais Cameron is a Black guy from South London. And myself, from a working class background, neurodiverse, East African, Ugandan, Rwandan. 

There isn't another play like this on in the West End, and there probably never has been in this theatre. Not only is it an honour, but the fact that this exists is historic. If you can catch it, catch it!

Retrograde runs till Saturday 14 June, 2025. Tickets start from £20. Book here