Tarell Alvin McCraney, 45, is an American playwright, screenwriter and actor born in 1980 in Florida. The 2016 film Moonlight, which was based on his life and original play, won the Academy Award for best picture, plus the Oscar for best adapted screenplay. He is the chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama, a recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grantand was the winner of the New York Times outstanding playwright award. His 2012 play Choir Boy, directed by Nancy Medina, returns to the UK this month. It’s a coming-of-age story about a Black, queer and gifted choir singer navigating spirituality, sexuality, race, identity and brotherhood while studying at an all-boys’ school.

What made you want to write a story about a choir?

American gospel choirs have become a bastion of years and years of political and spiritual resistance by Black people. Starting from the earliest recordings of gospel songs, people have corralled them together in order to find ways to use that music to uplift, to politically challenge and to praise God. The braiding of that is quite powerful. It wasn’t just political, it wasn’t just spiritually nourishing; it was also personally uplifting.