THE LONELY LONDONERS at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★

“an energetic and stylish play that could easily become a classic”

Adapted by esteemed British playwright Roy Williams, The Lonely Londoners at the Jermyn Street Theatre is the first staging of British-Trinidadian Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel. It’s somewhat surprising that the material hasn’t been adapted before, given the popularity of Windrush stories like Andrea Levy’s Small Island, adapted for the small screen in 2009 and staged at the National Theatre in 2019. That being said, it’s a pleasure to see the material in Williams’ hands with a script full of clever dialogue and a plot that, through the exploration of individual stories, allows for variety and nuance that creates a sophisticated, textural piece.

The drama centres around Moses Aloetta, Gamba Cole, a charismatic and well-connected Caribbean emigré with a cigarette surgically attached to his hand as he and his friends try to make their way in London. We meet the happy-go-lucky Big City, Gilbert Kyem Jnr, full of malapropisms based on London’s streets and boroughs, eager to put on a dance for the community. There’s Lewis, Tobi Bakare, recently out of work and worried about the arrival of his wife Agnes, Shannon Hayes, and mother, Carol Moses. And finally Henry ‘Galahad’ Oliver, fresh off the boat train with nothing but his pyjamas and toothbrush ready to take London by storm. Moses connects and grounds the group but is haunted by the image of the love he left behind in Trinidad. As the group gain experience of the city and its aggressive inhabitants, fear creeps in that this could all end in ruin. Fortunately, whilst the end does indeed bring sadness for some, it is not wholly an unhappy ending.

Performances from the whole cast are impeccable, each demonstrating an impressive emotional range in under two hours. The men are all degrees of cheeky and charming, lost and lonesome, and aggressive and angry. The women display similar range, gleeful at their small triumphs and despairing of the challenges they face. This is perhaps most dramatically exemplified by Romario Simpson as Galahad as we see his realisation from wide-eyed new arrival to a literally battered and bruised shell – his monologue denouncing the English for their unchecked racism is a powerful performance. It’s also worth praising the authentic Caribbean accents, coached to perfection by Aundrea Fudge.

There are, however, some odd directorial choices which break the drama. The dialogue is so rich that there are no ambiguities – these characters are talking from the heart at all times and we understand their fears, hopes and frustrations through what they say. Director Ebenezer Bamgboye’s choice to also include elements of physical theatre to show, for example, how the men support each other when the going gets tough is not necessary; we have already heard it.

On the other hand, the inclusion of contemporary music of black origin throughout the piece (Protoje’s ‘Who Knows’ beautifully sung live by Aimee Powell, a couple of Michael Kiwanuka tracks and more) subtly reminds you that, whilst this is a historical drama, the themes and experiences portrayed are, unfortunately, not resigned to history books.

Lighting by Elliot Griggs enhances the drama – whether through slow fade-ins that subtly draw your attention across the stage away from the action, or through dramatic bursts of light that ignite a fight. There is also clever use of flash bulbs on the back of the stage which are programmed to situate scenes by their postcodes, or show a graphic image which add fun and interest to the studio theatre.

The Lonely Londoners is an energetic and stylish play that could easily become a classic just like its source material. Although speaking to a specific moment in time, it’s themes of migration, racism and isolation resonate across the years. But it is the hopeful message of friendship and resilience, particularly through humour, that set this show apart and make it an enjoyable as well as educational watch.

THE LONELY LONDONERS at Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 5th March 2024

by Amber Woodward

Photography by Alex Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

TWO ROUNDS | ★★★ | February 2024

THE BEAUTIFUL FUTURE IS COMING | ★★★★ | January 2024

OWNERS | ★★★½ | October 2023

INFAMOUS | ★★★★ | September 2023

SPIRAL | ★★ | August 2023

FARM HALL | ★★★★ | March 2023

LOVE ALL | ★★★★ | September 2022

CANCELLING SOCRATES | ★★★★ | June 2022

ORLANDO | ★★★★ | May 2022

FOOTFALLS AND ROCKABY | ★★★★★ | November 2021

THE LONELY LONDONERS

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

★★★★

“It is the sharp wit and intelligence of the language that sustains the piece and cushions it from the risk of being labelled dated”

Oliver Goldsmith’s period comedy, “She Stoops to Conquer”, was first performed in London a quarter of a millennium ago, but is still very much alive among today’s canon of revivals. Initially titled ‘Mistakes of a Night’ it is indeed a comedy of errors. Goldsmith himself dubbed it a ‘laughing comedy’ while others referred to it as a ‘comedy of manners’ or a ‘romantic comedy’. The stress is repeatedly on the word ‘comedy’ – as the laughs from the audience at Tom Littler’s festive revival testify.

It is the sharp wit and intelligence of the language that sustains the piece and cushions it from the risk of being labelled dated. Littler’s production shifts it from the eighteenth century into a 1930s country manor deep in the heart of P. G. Wodehouse land. Tucked away in the English countryside we find Mr and Mrs Hardcastle; the former relishing the quiet, old-fashioned lifestyle while his wife longs to untuck herself and see the new things happening up in the big city. Instead, the city comes to them in the form of two raffish slickers – Charles Marlow and George Hastings. Marlow has been invited as a prospective match for the Hardcastle’s daughter, Kate, while Hastings is in tow to pursue Kate’s cousin Constance, who in turn is being reluctantly matched by Mrs Hardcastle to her prankster son Tony. Courtesy of Tony’s mischievousness, the two gents arrive mistaking the country house for an inn.

The main butt of the satire is class divide, emphasised by the way the characters treat one another depending on the (often mistaken) perception of their social standing. The text calls for a heightened degree of acting, which the formidable cast deliver without ever overdoing it. Greta Scacchi pitches just the right amount of affectation into her flame haired Mrs Hardcastle, as gaudy as the baubles with which she adorns the Christmas tree. Scacchi manages to parody and show off her privilege simultaneously, with a cut glass accent in need of a good polishing. David Horovitch is the perfect foil as her bumbling crank of a husband, delightfully and playfully outraged at the slightest threat to his authority and standing. Tanya Reynolds, as Kate, effectively has a dual role, spending much of the time pretending to be the lowly barmaid she is mistaken for. A comic talent, showcased in a glorious scene where she tries on various accents for her alter ego. Guy Hughes is a real find as Tony, the one who instigates all the misunderstandings. His veil of bumpkin buffoonery shields an intelligent rascal, but one with a good heart.

But the one everybody is looking out for is Freddie Fox. One moment eloquently flirtatious, the next a nervous, tongue-tied wreck. A lithe performance, Fox effortlessly switches between the two sides of Marlow, eking out the hypocrisy of the class system but – more strikingly – drawing out the laughs from an audience that hangs on his every word and nuance. Robert Mountford’s Hastings and Sabrina Bartlett’s Constance add a delightful extra layer of farce as the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ couple. Bartlett, in particular, lighting up the stage with her presence.

The performances and, of course, Goldsmith’s script are what drive this comedy through what would otherwise be a fairly safe revival. Anett Black and Neil Irish’s setting has the comfortable warmth of a well-heeled family Christmas, transforming not entirely successfully into the local pub. And we get the feeling sometimes that the sense of privilege is enjoyed too much rather than lampooned. But these sentiments are quickly knocked aside by the stream of laughs. Sometimes gentle, sometimes farcical. The festive setting might be a touch opportunist, but it is bang on target, and we leave the auditorium uplifted and ready to embrace the joys of Christmas.

THE LONELY LONDONERS at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★

“an energetic and stylish play that could easily become a classic”

THE LONELY LONDONERS at Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 5th March 2024

by Amber Woodward

Photography by Alex Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE LONELY LONDONERS

THE LONELY LONDONERS

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER at the Orange Tree Theatre

★★★★

“It is the sharp wit and intelligence of the language that sustains the piece and cushions it from the risk of being labelled dated”

SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER at the Orange Tree Theatre

Reviewed on 22nd November 2023

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Marc Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

She Stoops to Conquer

She Stoops to Conquer