ON RAILTON ROAD at the Museum of the Home

★★★

“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.