Donmar Warehouse – until 2 December 2023
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Lynn Nottage’s stateside hit is full of damaged characters finding ways to survive the harsh reality of life after prison. Clyde (Gbemisola Ikumelo) runs the truck stop and doesn’t give a damn about the quality of the food; she just wants to make money to keep her “investors” happy. Unfortunately, one of the ex-cons she employs in the kitchen is on a quest to create the perfect sandwich. When Jason (Patrick Gibson) starts working in the kitchen he is baffled by the others’ attitudes to food preparation and clashes with everybody, ignoring their advice about handling both food and Clyde. But soon, Montrellous’s (Giles Terera) passion and calmness inspire him as well.
As the characters talk about their ruined lives, the cost of making one mistake is laid bare – Rafael (Sebastian Orozo) was high and Letitia (Ronkẹ Adékọluéjó) was desperate for money for her child’s medication. Montrellous and Jason aren’t as open with their history, but when they reveal why they went to prison it is obvious that none of these people deserve to be written off. Clyde has also served time but has wrapped herself in so much armour and anger that she cannot and will not let anybody close. The mind games she plays with the staff are cruel but hilarious to watch as she toys with Jason like a cat with a mouse as the rest, who have obviously been burned before, watch on helplessly. Ikumelo is brilliantly brittle as Clyde – bristling with anger, fear and frustration. Adékọluéjó and Orozo are heartbreakingly sweet as they flirt and Gibson shows the vulnerability and fear beneath Jason’s racist facial tattoos. Terera is a sandwich shaman, exuding a mystic aura that is almost hypnotic as he prepares the food and tries to prepare the others for life after prison. At first, this produces a few giggles, but it doesn’t take long for the audience to become enchanted too. Some of Montrellous’s wisdom and advice is a little hackneyed, but Terera’s delivery and presence give it weight. The camaraderie and encouragement the team have in the kitchen appears to be the only good things in their lives, and Clyde can’t understand why they are dreaming of better things, when they should be grateful for the scraps they have now. The conflict between the worldviews provides dark situations and fantastic comedy directed skilfully by Lynette Linton.
This hard-hitting but bittersweet comedy about second chances and sandwiches is simply delicious.