Barry Reckord

Barry Reckord was a playwright and screenwriter, born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1926. He is recognised as one of the first Caribbean writers to have plays staged in the UK, paving the way for Caribbean voices in British theatre. Reckord studied at Cambridge University, where he began writing plays, drawing on his experiences and observations of social structures in both Jamaica and Britain.

His notable works include Flesh to a Tiger (1958) and Skyvers (1963), which examine themes of race, identity, and social inequality with striking honesty. His plays often tackled the struggles of marginalised communities, addressing issues such as systemic racism and class divisions. In addition to his stage work, Reckord contributed to television and film, writing screenplays that further explored these themes.