The Grand Scheme of Things by Warona Jay Published:12 Sep 2024

Meet Relebogile Naledi Mpho Moruakgomo. Or, for short, Eddie: an aspiring playwright who dreams of making it big in London's theatre world. But after repeated rejections from white talent agents, Eddie suspects her non-white sounding name might be the problem.  

Enter Hugo Lawrence Smith: good looking, well-connected, charismatic and . . . white. Very white. Stifled by his law degree and looking for a way out of the corporate world, he finds a kindred spirit in Eddie after a chance encounter at a cafe. Together they hatch an extraordinary scheme, one which will see Eddie's play on stage and Hugo's name in lights.

Her script sent out under his name. Their plan: keep the play's origins a secret until it reaches critical levels of success. Then expose the theatre world for its racism and hollow clout-chasing.

Caught in a lie that simply snowballs, the unlikely pair of friends begin a farcical, yet fraught odyssey, one full of romantic and platonic fumbles. But as their plan spins wildly out of control, Eddie and Hugo find themselves wondering if their friendship, and their reputations, can survive . .