Back in 2024, How the KKK Saved The Day made waves during its limited run at the Blue Room Theatre Summer Nights program. In our review of the musical, we called it “Clever, witty, with its tongue in its cheek and bigotry at boiling point… something that could easily evolve into a larger, crowd-pleasing production if allocated the time and funds.”

And now, the satirical musical returns bigger and bolder, running from 27 May to 14 June as part of the main Blue Room Theatre season, with sharper tweaks and a fresh ensemble cast.

We spoke to writer-director Amri Mrisho about the production’s evolution, influences, and what audiences can expect this time around.

Congratulations on the full-length debut! How has the show evolved since its original Summer Nights 2024 season?

Amri Mrisho: There have been a lot more jokes added, and there have been a few tweaks to do some more character development, especially with the character NiKKKi.

Looking back on the original run, what kind of reactions did you get from audiences?

Amri: The biggest surprise was probably the cheering, I didn't really know what to expect, I expected the laughs and the gasps but the cheering was a pleasant surprise.

What were your major influences when writing this play?

Amri: There were quite a few, shows like South Park and The Boondocks were big influences, but also more British-style comedy, such as Peep Show and IT Crowd helped push the absurdism. Also, big productions like The Book of Mormon and The Producers really influenced the show.

Looks like you have some new cast members joining the production. How did they respond to the material? Have they brought anything unexpected or exciting to their performances, or to how the story plays out this time around?

Amri: It's always interesting to see how an actor interprets the material, and my personal favourite thing I've seen is how they understand how mean these characters are.

The show tackles some heavy themes in a bold, satirical way. What core ideas were you most interested in unpacking, and what made musical theatre and comedy the right lens for that exploration?

Amri: Systematic racism and class division. I knew that comedy was the right form for the show because drama appeals to emotion, and comedy appeals to intellect. We all know how to feel about racism, but how should we think about it? And making it a musical really helped push the absurdism to new heights.

What is your personal favourite song/musical number or setpiece in this show?

Amri: I would say the song “We Need A Black,” it's very spiritual.

When audiences leave the theatre, what’s the feeling, thought, or question you hope stays with them?

Amri: That, despite what we've gone through, things are better. Not good, but better.

Is there anything you'd recommend people watch, read, or listen to after seeing the show, something that pairs well with it or builds on the themes in an interesting way?

Amri: Look up a man called Daryl Davis, he's an African American jazz musician who spends his free time befriending klans members and influences them to leave the klan. He's gotten over 200 people to leave.