Tag Archives: Elliot Griggs

THE LONELY LONDONERS

★★★★

Jermyn Street Theatre

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

THE LONELY LONDONERS

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page

 

THE BIG LIFE

★★★★★

Theatre Royal Stratford East

THE BIG LIFE at the Theatre Royal Stratford East

★★★★★

“The whole show is a wondrous vision”

When front of house inform you that the show is approximately three hours long, the reaction is to smile politely while inwardly groaning and hoping there’s an espresso machine behind the bar at the interval. In the case of “The Big Life” however, after what is, in all actuality, a little over three hours we are still wanting more. It has been twenty years since this absolute gem of a musical premiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East (before transferring to the West End), and its revival has come none too soon.

Set in the mid-fifties, the show opens on board the Windrush; sailing from the Caribbean carrying its voyagers heading for a new life. The characters are full of hope, with great expectations and personal aspirations. We all know the reality. But although this show touches on it, it is no ‘blaxploitation’ polemic. It is instead a true celebration of a culture to which we owe a huge debt.

Subtitled ‘the Ska Musical’, Paul Joseph’s music keeps the blood pumping and the feet tapping throughout. And during the more tender, balladic moments, our heartstrings almost snap. It is Bob Marley meets Louis Jordan. A crossbreed of ‘One Love’ and ‘Five Guys Named Moe’, with more than a splash of Leiber and Stoller thrown in. So where can you go wrong? Adding Shakespeare to the mix sounds like a risk too far, but the ingenious take on the bard’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” is a masterstroke of theatrical reimagining. Paul Sirett and Tameka Empson’s book (Sirett is also the lyricist) even manages to improve on it while staying remarkably faithful.

 

 

On board the ship are four young men who make a pact to abstain from women and drink for three years in order to work hard and make something of their lives. The women in their lives have other ideas. The admiral of the ship follows them all onto dry land, igniting fire into the cold, grey, unwelcoming landscape, and moreover igniting mischief into the lives of the star-crossed individuals.

You don’t need to be familiar with Shakespeare’s storyline to follow the action. The biggest threat of losing the plot is through the sheer multitude of laugh-out-loud moments. The cast collectively throw the term ‘triple threat’ to the wind, multiplying their talents left, right and centre. Co-writer Empson presides over the evening as Mrs Aphrodite, commenting on the piece and filling in details from her majestic place in a box in the royal circle. In the guise of a forthright, Jamaican, first-generation immigrant, she flamboyantly and hilariously dispenses gossip and shameless commentary through the scene changes. Her perfectly timed interjections gently morph into more serious subject matter, poignantly and subtlety drawing attention to the darker side – particularly the recent Windrush scandals. The disturbing irony, and the fate of these migrants is not ignored and is treated by the writers with a respect and an authority that lends untold depth to the tremendous applause that greets the curtain call.

Onstage, meanwhile, the party continues. The seven-piece band continue to belt out the numbers with high energy while the ensemble cast is spreading joy like there’s no tomorrow. So much zest is bouncing off the stage that we forget that these actors are probably among the hardest working performers in London currently. I’d love to namecheck everyone, but each one is a star. I’d love to give a step-by-step account of the story and index the song list for you, but each number is a showstopper. The whole show is a wondrous vision. The score is a dream. Twenty years ago, it transferred to the West End. The standing ovation it received this time around will surely guide it there again. In double-time, of course – it is a ‘Ska musical’ after all.


THE BIG LIFE at the Theatre Royal Stratford East

Reviewed on 22nd February 2024

by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Mark Senior

 

 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BEAUTIFUL THING | ★★★★★ | September 2023

THE BIG LIFE

THE BIG LIFE

Click here to see our Recommended Shows page