ABSTRACT
This chapter reflects on the play's status within the canon of black British playwriting. Although some reviewers have criticised 'predictable plotting and characters', Moon on a Rainbow Shawl is generally heralded as important, as 'a landmark work in British-Caribbean theatre history', which is at the forefront of any discussions about a black British theatrical canon. The 1958 production was one of the first times that a distinctive Caribbean dialect would have been heard on the British stage, establishing the context for the play, and comments about language were foregrounded in the 1958 reviews. British theatre critics have a tendency to substantiate the validity of black plays by highlighting supposedly 'universal' themes and making connections to the work of white playwrights. John's use of a conventional three act structure with two scenes in each act was familiar to white British reviewers and audience members.
