Tag Archives: Flora Doble

On Railton Road

On Railton Road

★★★

Museum of Home

ON RAILTON ROAD at the Museum of the Home

★★★

On Railton Road

“there is simply too much and no theme receives a thorough or satisfying explanation”

In the 1970s, the area around Railton Road in Brixton was a hotbed of radicalism, with activist groups setting up centres in the many dilapidated buildings lining the street. In a bid to highlight queer domestic spaces, the Museum of the Home’s first theatrical production On Railton Road makes use of rare archival interviews with squatters and revolutionaries of the era to bring this seditious period to life on stage.

We are introduced to the nonconformist lives of the residents of one squat on Railton Road through the eyes of the naïve Ned (Manish Gandhi) who pines after the polyamorous Phillip (Thomas Royal). The whimsical Atom (Jaye Hudson) spins around in the garden on an acid trip whilst Daire (Jamal Franklin) seeks to create art. The radical Casper (Hannah van der Westhuysen) desires to do something more sinister – to firebomb a WHSmith during the annual pride march. Clifford (Dan de la Motte) and Jack (Nicholas Marrast Lewis) oversee the household – conducting votes on whether to take direct action and keeping clashing personalities and opinions in check.

The play is divided into two parts that intermingle with one another. One, the fabricated but informed story of some of those who lived on Railton Road. The other, a thoroughly camp production of ‘Mr Punch’s Nuclear Family’, an original play by the 1974-established Brixton Faeries who sort to use theatre to share their experiences and grievances with a wider public.

The latter is by far the highlight of the overall production. ‘Mr Punch’s Nuclear Family’ is absurdist in style and comedy and the cast do an excellent job of presenting the play in ad hoc street theatre style. The props and costumes here are excellent also – mop wigs for judges, massive hands attached to extendable corrugated conduits for the police officer, and, the pièce de resistance, a giant papier mâché judge head designed by Oliver James-Hymans and puppeteered by Lewis. These scenes are pure joy and the conclusion of the Faeries’ work was met with rapturous applause.

The scenes of life on Railton Road are not bad by any means. There are lots of interesting topics raised including violence vs passivity, racial relations, class division, open relationships, and the future of gay liberation. However, there is simply too much and no theme receives a thorough or satisfying explanation. The tonal shifts can be very dramatic and confusing, further exacerbated by two scenes often happening on stage at one time to further multiple plotlines concurrently.

“With some significant pruning of the play’s length and a clearer focus, this will be a very valuable piece of theatre indeed”

Some characters are also stronger than others. Ned – though very sweet and performed magnificently by Gandhi upon the sudden death of one of his housemates – does not seem like a wholly necessary character. He is the eyes through which the audience is introduced to the household’s bohemian way of life, but his presence doesn’t garner any further explanation from the other characters, they offer this up readily already amongst themselves. Franklin is the standout in his role as Daire. He is fun, loud, and energetic. He brings great life to the stage whilst also leaning into more poignant moments with great ease. His speech on why he is opposed to violent action is particularly strong.

The set (Ian Giles) is good. We see a kitchen, dining table and empty space that alternates between garden, bedroom and living space. Actors enter and exit from pretty much any direction and often trapse around the audience whilst delivering their lines. This envelops the audience in the activity of the squat – we have joined the Railton Road clan, and we are proud of it. The musical arrangements also deserve a mention. Sophie Crawford plays sweet tunes on her accordion and A Gay Song (1972), the earliest known example of a defiant chant from the early 70s pride marches to be recorded, is performed with gusto.

The play concludes with a welcome history lesson to wrap-up. We see the squatters form the Brixton Co-operative Housing in the early 1980s and returning to their old home in the 2000s to reminisce about their once radical endeavours. We hear about their struggles to establish themselves under a Thatcherite government and the painful loss of the AIDS epidemic. We are reminded in these final moments that these characters are based on real people and experiences and that they must not be forgotten.

On Railton Road does a great job at raising awareness of the revolutionary activity of the 1970s. With some significant pruning of the play’s length and a clearer focus, this will be a very valuable piece of theatre indeed.


ON RAILTON ROAD at the Museum of the Home

Reviewed on 2nd November 2023

by Flora Doble

Photography by Lara Dunn

 


 

 

 

Top shows we reviewed in October:

Dear England | ★★★★★ | Prince Edward Theatre | October 2023
Elephant | ★★★★★ | Bush Theatre | October 2023
The Least We Could Do | ★★★★★ | Hope Theatre | October 2023
The Ocean At The End Of The Lane | ★★★★★ | Noël Coward Theatre | October 2023
This Is Not A Circus: 360 | ★★★★★ | Jacksons Lane | October 2023

On Railton Road

On Railton Road

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Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing

★★★★★

Theatre Royal Stratford East

BEAUTIFUL THING at the Theatre Royal Stratford East

★★★★★

Beautiful Thing

“The pair have an enchanting chemistry – they perfectly capture the awkward nervousness of young love”

Jonathan Harvey’s coming-out and coming-of-age story Beautiful Thing was first performed at the Bush Theatre in 1993. Now, 30 years on, a revival – directed by Anthony Simpson-Pike – has graced the stage of London’s Theatre Royal Stratford East. Strikingly relevant to today and beautifully told, we follow 16-year-old neighbours Jamie (Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran) and Ste (Raphael Akuwudike) as their gentle love story unfolds within the tightknit working-class community of Thamesmead. Jamie clashes with his no-nonsense mother Sandra (Shvorne Marks) and her middle-class boyfriend Tony (Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge) whilst Ste struggles against his abusive, alcoholic father. School drop-out Leah (Scarlett Rayner) and her absent mother complete the trio of houses on which the play focuses.

Owokoniran, a last-minute replacement for Joshua Asaré who dropped out due to personal circumstances, shines in the lead role. He is best when leaning into his young character’s sweetness – parading around in the glasses that Ste likes is a particular highlight – and when wittily sparring with Sandra. Akuwudike does an excellent job at rendering Ste’s cheery disposition as well as his hesitancy and frustration at his family circumstances. The pair have an enchanting chemistry – they perfectly capture the awkward nervousness of young love and are totally believable in it.

Sandra evolves throughout the show and Marks brings a great empathy to her. A self-reliant single mother with a string of younger lovers, she is hurting and craves her son’s affection. Blackwood-Cambridge is hilarious as Tony. His overly sexual movement and mannerisms – directed by Annie-Lunette Deakin-Foster – are excellent. He fully embraces the absurdity of his ill-placed character. He does, however, also deliver real tenderness in his final scenes, elevating his character beyond the clown with great skill.

“It is funny, uplifting and has real heart.”

Rayner provides a great brashness to the proceedings and does great in the play’s climax when her character has a bad trip. She is an effective foil for the other characters – her need to interfere and ask difficult questions drives much of the plot.

Rosie Elnile has designed a gorgeous set. We see the cream concrete exterior of our protagonists’ respective flats. Jamie’s – at the centre – is a rose between two thorns, a basket of flowers and a freshly painted door brighten up the otherwise nondescript façade. Characters enter via the flats or the right-hand side of the stage. The only interior to which we are privy is Jamie’s bedroom – a single bed that juts out from the exterior wall of his flat towards the audience.

Excellent lighting (Elliot Griggs) works wonders to enhance the set. Between scenes, colourful filters coat the set as characters dance and move rhythmically around highlighting the emotion or dynamic(s) of the previous scene. In addition, the lighting is used to grow and reduce the space, most obviously when we are in Jamie’s bedroom, his bed spotlighted, the rest of the stage dimmed to hone our attention onto the single room.

The sound design (Xana) is also thoroughly distinctive – funky, almost Seinfeld-esque beats play to transition us from one scene to the next. The musical stylings of Mama Cass also feature heavily. Her music drifts out from super fan Leah’s flat and her song ‘Dream A Little Dream Of Me’ is an anthem for Jamie and Ste’s acceptance of their sexuality.

Beautiful Thing is a thoroughly touching story of queer joy. It is funny, uplifting and has real heart. The cast bring strong and nuanced performances to their respective characters and the script is brilliantly quick. Time flies whilst watching this play and your cheeks will hurt from smiling at the charming tale. I could not recommend it enough.


BEAUTIFUL THING at the Theatre Royal Stratford East

Reviewed on 22nd September 2023

by Flora Doble

Photography by The Other Richard


 

 

Previously reviewed at this venue:

 

CAFÉ SOCIETY SWING   ★★★★★  June 2018

PYAR ACTUALLY   ★★★★  May 2018

SUMMER IN LONDON  ★★★★★  July 2017

TOMMY  ★★★★  June 2017

Beautiful Thing

Beautiful Thing

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