Edinburgh fringe play In the Black exposes the dark side of corporate finance

A solo theatre piece titled In the Black has returned to the Edinburgh fringe, running at Underbelly, Bristo Square until 31 August. The show is written and performed by Quaz Degraft, following a well-received run last year.

The story follows Kofi Grady, a first generation Ghanaian American raised by a strict father who equated success with both money and job security. Kofi is a young graduate who applies his mathematical talents at a trillion-dollar financial firm. His drive stems from a craving for the sense of control and comfort he once felt as a teenager joyriding in a high-performance car.

Drawing on real experience

Degraft himself previously worked in high finance before leaving the industry to become a performer, unlike his character, who ends up in prison helping fellow inmates with arithmetic. Through the show, he offers an insider's view of a corporate culture where profit and personal advancement take precedence over everything else.

The cost of staying silent

Featuring a range of colleagues and friends, the story lays out the unspoken bargain of big business: work long hours, say what's expected, and stay quiet about wrongdoing while waiting for bonuses. The play is framed as a #MeToo story told from a male point of view — Kofi has no direct role in the assault of a female colleague but becomes complicit by helping cover it up, choosing silence over speaking out.

Directed by Abigail Onwunali in a stripped-down style, the production quietly but effectively exposes the insidious workings of male power within corporate structures.