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Tribes

Putney Arts Theatre

Reviewed – 23rd January 2020

★★★★

“a raw piece of theatre that achieves in raising awareness to the struggles of the deaf community, and a must-see in these times of identity politics”

The 2010 play Tribes by Nina Raine explores ideas of language, identity and communal hierarchy through the experiences of Billy (Karl Robin), a deaf individual born to a hearing family who do little to accommodate his disability. Never having learnt British Sign Language (BSL) and unable to keep up with his family’s constant chatter, Billy constantly feels like an outsider.

This is until Billy meets Sylvia (Tessa Campbell), a hearing woman born to deaf parents who is going deaf herself, who introduces him to the deaf community. With a newfound sense of belonging, Billy finally feels as though he has a voice, but will his dysfunctional parents Beth (Amanda Benzecry) and Christopher (Paul White) and obnoxious siblings Daniel (Craig Bates) and Ruth (Henny Hardy) finally listen to what he has to say?

The theme of translation and communication is abundant in Tribes, here directed by Grace Johnstone. Billy’s family are language snobs. They mock the Leeds accent and consider BSL nothing more than ‘broken English’. However, there is great irony and contradiction in their elitist attitudes. Christopher, who refuses to learn sign for his son’s benefit least he builds his whole identity around being deaf, happily takes Chinese lessons; Daniel has auditory hallucinations and develops a stammer when under stress; and Billy’s melodramatic sister Ruth is a budding opera singer who cannot understand the foreign lyrics that she sings.

The play also confronts the idea of communal identity and the importance of individuation. Sylvia tells Daniel that Billy is in the ‘honeymoon phase’ with the deaf community while she longs to be surrounded by more than just deafness. The tribal (or, as Christopher berates, cultic) nature of bonding through a common trait is certainly becoming ever more prevalent in modern society, and Sylvia too raises the issue of hierarchy within minority communities. For example, Billy is ‘top of the pack’ as he was born deaf, while Sylvia has far less status as she was born hearing.

Robin is the stand-out performer of the show. A hearing individual, he delivers some incredibly powerful speeches entirely in BSL and signs with marvellous confidence. Benzecry is also a particularly strong actress and succeeds in evoking great empathy from the audience for her reasons for isolating the young Billy from his deaf comrades.

The play’s action is primarily set around the family dining room. A large table is centre stage and a digital piano sits against the right wall. There are three entrances with a door that leads through to a rather elaborate kitchen being used most frequently. Steps to the left of the audience stand in for the staircase of the family home, and another door to the left of the stage acts as the house’s front door. This arrangement succeeds in enlarging the rather small space and immersing the audience in the uncomfortable family tensions.

A screen above the stage displays translations to the BSL, and, later on in the production, the ‘real meaning’ behind the what different characters say. The latter feature would have been welcome throughout the performance as it would have highlighted even further the slippery and varied nature of communication. Sound effects (Graeme Bendall) are unfortunately not used to their full advantage. Sylvia comments on how noisy going deaf is citing the irritating buzzing of music as one example. Sounds to simulate noises such as these would have been a great addition to the show.

Tribes is a raw piece of theatre that achieves in raising awareness to the struggles of the deaf community, and a must-see in these times of identity politics.

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Photography by Benjamin Copping

Tribes

Putney Arts Theatre

Recently reviewed by Flora:

Smashing It! | ★★ | Bread & Roses Theatre | October 2019

Ugly | ★★★½ | Tristan Bates Theatre | October 2019

Don’t Frighten The Straights | ★★★ | King’s Head Theatre | November 2019

Escape From Planet Trash | ★★★ | Pleasance Theatre | November 2019

Sydney & The Old Girl | ★★★★ | Park Theatre | November 2019

All I Want For Christmas Is Attention | ★★★★★ | o2 Forum Kentish Town | December 2019

Pecsmas | ★★★★★ | The Yard Theatre | December 2019

Thriller Live | ★★★★★ | Lyric Theatre | December 2019

Scrounger | ★★★★ | Finborough Theatre | January 2020

Julius Caesar | ★★½ | Lion & Unicorn Theatre | January 2020

Click here to see our most recent reviews

★★★

“It shines at times, but is crying out for editorial cuts”

In my opinion, The Simpsons is arguably the most timeless and successful cartoon ever to grace television. Why? Because it appeals both to kids and adults alike, without compromise for either audience. In this sense, writer and director Francesca De Sica’s all-female, pop-up theatre retelling of the Sherlock Holmes short story appears to strive for the same effect, with a play that has lots of wackiness and slapstick gags for kids, but also a detailed plot and the odd joke only adults will get.

The text is pretty faithful to the original story – the language feels more or less the same although there is lots of ad-libbing. We follow Holmes (Elizabeth Appleby) and Watson (Francesca De Sica) as they are tasked with retrieving a sensitive photograph from actress Irene Adler (Princess Donnough) and returning it to their client, The King of Bohemia (Laura-Jean Richardson). Side characters are multi-roled by the five-piece cast – Katharine Blackshaw (as Mrs Hudson and other roles) gives the most memorable performance by far, making each of her characters stand out but through subtlety rather than playing for laughs as some of the other actors do.

The atmosphere of A Scandal In Bohemia is friendly and upbeat from the moment we walk in – each guest is offered a drink and a snack whilst the characters natter away, interacting fabulously with everyone. At the end, a few audience members are brought onstage and Sherlock tries to guess their occupation, which goes down extremely well with any kids watching. It’s a show that feels refreshingly collaborative. The world of the play also very much comes alive through the show’s design – despite having a pop-up set it is detailed and utilises the whole space, whilst the costumes are appropriate for the period yet eye-catching and colourful. Hand and shadow puppets are both involved also, albeit briefly – the shadow puppets are particularly charming and perhaps could be made more of.

This all takes over from the actual story, which seems like an afterthought. Many of the scenes feel too long and wordy, which is enough to make adults switch off, let alone kids. For those who are trying to follow what’s going on, this isn’t helped by the ceaseless ad-libbing or the random, vague movements that for some reason De Sica has included alongside important plot points. Unfortunately, A Scandal In Bohemia also seems to miss the mark in its quest to replicate ‘The Simpsons Complex’ and create something which appeals to audiences of all ages. The jokes are a little too childish and the acting a little too hammy for an adult audience, and the gags that clearly are there for adults are somewhat shoehorned in – the worst offender being a bit with Holmes and Watson openly snorting cocaine. Is that really something we want to show an audience of schoolchildren? The attempts to tell the story in a ‘fun’ way sometimes fall short also, for example the crime scene analysis/boxing match which somehow manages to be both confusing and unengaging, and the Punch & Judy show which seeks to fight the patriarchy, but seems completely out of place here.

It’s a shame because as a kids’ show, A Scandal in Bohemia has potential to be hugely entertaining if the text were simplified and the disjointed ‘jokes for the parents’ were got rid of. It shines at times, but is crying out for editorial cuts.

Reviewed by Sebastian Porter

Photography by Paul White

Putney Arts Theatre

Reviewed – 23rd January 2020

★★★★

“a raw piece of theatre that achieves in raising awareness to the struggles of the deaf community, and a must-see in these times of identity politics”

Tribes is a raw piece of theatre that achieves in raising awareness to the struggles of the deaf community, and a must-see in these times of identity politics.

Reviewed by Flora Doble

Photography by Benjamin Copping

Tribes

Putney Arts Theatre

Recently reviewed by Flora:

Tristan Bates Theatre

Reviewed – 28th October 2019

★★★

“It shines at times, but is crying out for editorial cuts”

It’s a shame because as a kids’ show, A Scandal in Bohemia has potential to be hugely entertaining if the text were simplified and the disjointed ‘jokes for the parents’ were got rid of. It shines at times, but is crying out for editorial cuts.

Reviewed by Sebastian Porter

Photography by Paul White

A Scandal in Bohemia!

Tristan Bates Theatre until 2nd November

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: