Prostate Not Prostrate: When Silence Is the Real Thief

Orchid was delighted to receive funding from National Lottery Awards for All England to create an accessible play to raise awareness of prostate cancer amongst Nottingham’s Black African and Black Caribbean community.

To do this, Orchid was pleased to collaborate with Nottingham based Lisa Jackson of Mon0lisa Productions and the team of Orchid Community Champions who have been cascading prostate cancer messages locally for almost 5 years.

Prostate Not Prostrate:  When Silence Is the Real Thief was inspired by the lived experience of the Community Champions and tackles the reality of Black men being disproportionately affected by prostate cancer. It.

The bold, witty, truth-telling play – with a guest appearance by one of the Champions – blends humour with meaningful messaging. It follows Patty Dumplin as she nudges (…and lovingly nags!) her husband toward something too many men avoid: a simple check that could save his life.

It was first performed to a full house at the Nottingham Contemporary in late 2025, followed by a lively audience discussion led by Orchid’s CEO Ali Orhan and the local Community Champions. Patty was also interviewed and performed the play on Nottingham’s only urban radio station 97.5 Kemet FM, taking its humour and serious prostate cancer messaging to listeners across the city and surrounding areas.

Prostate Not Prostrate has received rave audience reviews. Comments show it really does achieve its aim of delivering prostate cancer information in an accessible way and starting  conversations amongst both men and women.

Feedback from members of the audience

“Phenomenal, Patty Dumplin use of humour to convey the key message. I have also raised the awareness with friends to get checked. Yes, I will get checked and I have told friends to get checked.”

“The performance which was based on a sensitive subject was well executed by all, especially Lisa Jackson aka, Patty Dumplin. I feel more educated on the subject and feel privileged to have attended as it will ensure lives are saved. Get checked myself and advise others to do so. The performance itself as well as the introduction and conclusion meant all in attendance would be well informed on the subject.”

“Fantastic show. Very powerful storytelling.”

“The education made us known the important in having our prostrate checked. The humour made us pay more attention. Patty Dumplin. performance Was excellent. It was good to see one’s who volunteer to give this important message to the community. It’s made me realise if I don’t get it checked early it could be very serious. It made me pay attention. I will be booking an appointment with the doctor for an examination.”

Comment by Lisa Jackson, writer & producer

“Too many Black men are dying from prostate cancer in silence. Through Patty Dumplin, this play acts like a key — unlocking conversations without shame, helping men feel confident to speak with their GP and take action.”

The next steps

A performance for men in a local prison is planned, and funding is being sought to take the play to wider audiences across the country.