Blue Elephant Theatre – until 25 May 2019
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
3½ ***
Wooden Arrow Productions promising new play mixes personal drama with stories of well-known victims of knife crime in an engaging and thought-provoking production.
It’s the summer of 2018, and Michael (Samuel Awoyo) and his girlfriend Liv (Barbara Dadson) are waiting for their results after the first year of college. After a stop and search while buying booze for a party, Michael is frustrated and when he sees his best mate Charlie (Pierre Moullier) in a dodgy situation with a drug dealer, he rushes in and gets stabbed.
The charming and cheeky introduction to the characters means that you are invested in them straight away, and watching the aftermath of the incident and its effect on Michael’s loved ones is emotional. The dialogue does sometimes feel like a therapy session, but this is what the family need to work through during this devastating time. Michael, who Awoyo manages to keep likeable even with his belligerent and selfish attitude at the beginning of the play, is changed most, developing a calmer and more mature outlook, while his seemingly more level-headed brother (Michael McGarry) wants revenge.
The family relationship and friendships are beautifully written and performed, with Ella Baulcomb a hoot as Mum, and Pierre Moullier delightful as the hapless but loveable Charlie.
Interspersed with the story are spoken word segments detailing the brutal murders of Stephen Lawrence, Jane Clough and others. These are accompanied by sympathetic and disturbing movement by the cast to create a powerful impression.
The frustration and injustice felt by the family as the police fail to find the attacker builds to a shared monologue about the growing danger of knife crime, calling for education and the government to take responsibility rather than apportion blame. But writer Rees Jenkins wisely ends the play on a lighter, hopeful note giving Michael the last word as he explains his zen-like sense of justice with an impish glint in his eye – making this message much more appealing and relatable to younger audiences.