Category: Race
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The Gift at the Theatre Royal Stratford East review ***
The Gift Theatre Royal Stratford East, 8th February 2020 Another in the lengthening list of contemporary plays where the reach of ambition exceeds the grasp of execution. Janice Okoh has set her sights on “imperialism, cross-racial adoption, cultural appropriation … and tea” with her “outrageous” play set firstly, in Victorian…
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A Kind of People at the Royal Court Theatre review ****
A Kind of People Royal Court Downstairs, 16th December 2019 Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti was a new playwriting name for me. No longer. A Kind of People takes a not uncommon subject, racism in contemporary Britain, and not uncommon set-ups, a mixed race marriage, friendships, a party, a workplace, and conjures…
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Fairview at the Young Vic review ***
Fairview Young Vic Theatre, 11th December 2019 Fell like a bit of a fraud putting pen to paper on this. For, I confess, I did not completely understand Fairview. African-American playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for the play. The conceit is ingenious. A birthday dinner for…
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“Master Harold” … and the boys at the National Theatre review *****
“Master Harold” … and the boys National Theatre Lyttleton, 26th October 2019 I was surprised by this. Not by the content. Athol Fugard, like his compatriot in the plastic arts William Kentridge, has more than enough inspiration to fuel his art from the history of his nation. Master Harold, like…
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Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads at the Spiegeltent Chichester
Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads Spigeltent, Chichester Festival Theatre, 17th October 2019 There are a few candidates for my favourite play of 2019. Lynn Nottage’s stunning Sweat at the Donmar Warehouse, or either of the revivals of the Miller classics at the Old and Young Vics respectively, All…
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The Doctor at the Almeida Theatre review *****
The Doctor Almeida Theatre, 13th September 2019 He’s only gone and done it again. Robert Icke, the departing Associate Director at the Almeida, has ended on a high. Like that is any great surprise. Once again he has taken a classic text, this time Arthur Schnitzler’s dissection of anti-Semitism in…
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Two Trains Running at the Royal and Derngate review ***
Two Trains Running Royal and Derngate Northampton, 12th September 2019 Another instalment in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh cycle though, four in, the Tourist still has some way to go. Two Trains Running premiered in 1990 and is set in the turbulent 1960s – remember each of the ten play series covers…
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Until the Flood at the Arcola Theatre *****
Until the Flood Arcola Theatre, 10th September 2019 I am in awe of actors, and indeed other performers, who are prepared to step out on a stage alone to entertain, inspire and educate us. A one character monologue is tricky enough. To present multiple characters surely more so. To inhabit…
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Faith Ringgold at the Serpentine Galleries review ****
Faith Ringgold Serpentine Galleries, 22nd August 2019 Once again it has taken the Tourist way too long to gather his thoughts on something he has seen. Which means this snappy retrospective of the work of Africa- American artist has now finished. Sorry. It was Very Good. I guess that doesn’t…
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Sancho: An Act of Remembrance at the Orange Tree Theatre review ****
Paterson Joseph – Sancho: An Act of Remembrance Orange Tree Theatre, 30th June 2019 OK. So let me get this out of the way at the beginning. Paterson Joseph’s one man homage to Charles Ignatius Sancho, the first Black Briton to vote, sometimes comes across as just a little too…
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King Hedley II at the Theatre Royal Stratford East review ****
King Hedley II Theatre Royal Stratford East, 6th June 2019 The Pittsburgh (or Century) Cycle. Ten plays written by August Wilson (above) charting the African- American experience in the US in each decade of the C20. All bar one set in the same Pittsburgh Hill district, where August Wilson grew…
At Home He Feels Like A Tourist 