Is everyone really aping the chant of 'more masculinity' in 2025? Really? Not everyone's convinced, let alone playwright and actor Paul Morris whose latest work-in-progress 'Best Friends' takes a poignant and humorous take on male friendship. 'Best Friends' at Rich Mix, 7.30pm, Saturday 8 March. Part of Afro Futures Festival, presented by Certain Blacks. Feature written by Paul Morris. The intra-relationships of men and their perceptions of themselves, is among the many enigmas in our society. This is not helped by the rituals that men frequently engage in for bonding, such as drinking, competitive sports, playing video games, gambling and self-aggrandisement in the workplace. While such rituals are often dismissed as superficial, they actually have profound implications on how men negotiate their relationships. At the heart of male interaction lies a repertoire of gestures and behaviours aimed at concealing their emotions and fears. Deciphering these codes is not only difficult for outsiders but also challenging for men themselves—and for young boys prior to their initiation as adolescents. In our latest play, Best friends, we are inviting the public to our stage-reading performance, to bear witness to alternative intra-male relationships that are honest, transparent and fearless. In these post covid times, a growing number of men have become fatigued with the traditional tropes employed to define them. Some quip that these tropes; unemotional, uncommunicative and aloof, have been directly responsible for the premature foreclosure of their intimate relationships. But what happens, as in our play Best friends, when the commitment to one’s friendship calls upon unprecedented measures of bravery in the face of loss, betrayal and envy? The pandemic in 2020, proved to be such a challenge, revealing some distressing and sobering admissions from men, regarding their inability to not only cope with difficulty and tragedy, but in how one fully engages with life emotionally. The juxtaposition of the male identity in Best Friends, underscores that the traditional male psyche is no longer fit for purpose, in a society that is evolving emotionally and psychologically. These antiquated norms have to be transcended—and doing so requires the full participation and integration of body, mind and soul, not just our fragmented parts. But how have the men, who have already rejected these antiquated norms, getting on with their peers in society? Often, they are met with resistance, ridicule and rejection. The pressure to conform to “man up” can be relentless and intimidating, but the resolve to change is continuing. In some circles, the transition by men from stoicism and isolation to wellbeing and self-care, is redefining their emotional dexterity in profound ways. Well-being activities such as yoga, meditation, therapy, and the arts, previously frowned upon by men, are now becoming their go to rituals for positive self-esteem . This shift is proving that men are no longer content with living on the edge of their relationships or taking pride in being unreachable. As the shift continues to grow, men are also discovering that they can still engage with some of their former rituals, but in a more considerate, varied, and purposeful way. Conscious bonding for men, what we explore in Best Friends, is really about being open to cultivating purposeful friendships. They may not start off that way, which is normal, but they should evolve into friendships that are transparent, fearless and adventurous, possessing a deep love and respect for life in their everyday existence. Crying In The Wilderness productions present Best Frields Saturday 8 March, 7.30pm Rich Mix 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA Best Friends is part of Afro Futures Festival presented by Certain Blacks Afro Futures Festival is the latest edition of Certain Blacks’ annual indoor festival. Afro Futures is presented in the context of recent political unrest. The programme reflects on the multiple ways diverse culture has contributed to the British identity and on what it means to be British today. Find out more, here.