Jack Studio Theatre – until 23 October 2021
3***
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
The horrors of WW1 have been fair game for historians and film makers for many years, but the mythologising of WW2, which began as propaganda to remind the UK that right was on OUR side, and for many decades we were bombarded with films, books and documentaries about our heroes and their heroic deeds is still ongoing in many quarters, with no mention of morally dubious actions and blatant whitewashing of the narrative, making it appear that the war was won by brave white men and their chirpy lower-class troops. While in the 1980s, TV characters like Uncle Albert and his constant stories about the war were figures of fun, now that the people who recall those dark days are becoming fewer and fewer the myth of WW2 and Blitz Spirit is being used more and more by some press and politicians to diminish, abuse and alienate those who do not fit into their ideology. This makes productions like Imole Theatre Company’s Our War vital – reminding us of and celebrating the Black African and Caribbean men and women who fought and contributed to the war effort.
Andrew Ashaye has written a sometimes-lyrical play which begins with a grandmother being asked if any Black people fought in the war and develops at a leisurely pace, circling and repeating, as the old lady’s memories and stories are portrayed. Director Debo Oluwatuminu’s approach gives the play the feel of sitting on the knee of the elderly narrator while she reminisces but means that some sections lose momentum.
The recruitment drive in Nigeria, insisting that the men should fight for the Mother Counrty, is full of colonial hypocrisy and empty promises, with Ed Petrie spouting the banal slogans with the right amount of officious pomposity, but Tommy (Tobi Olutayo) and Christian (Beko Wood) still join up for very different reasons – Tommy is from a rich family and wants to fly planes, and Christian sees it as the only way he can earn enough to provide for his mother. Their experiences in the military seem to contrast at first, but Tommy’s joy for flying that has made him accept or ignore inequalities soon disappears when he is injured and reality hits. Christian’s explanation of the way that the army views and treats the Black troops is much more honest and visceral, with Hamish Somers’ capturing the incredulity of his white colleague who had never questioned or thought about his own inherent racism before. Olayinka (Lola Oteh-Cole) is a nurse who has come to London and faces the prejudice of civilians every day. Even as she and a Black doctor help victims of a bombing in Deptford, people question their skills and motives, and there is a stark reminder that the air raid shelters were segregated, with Olayinka being turned away and told to go to the Coloured Shelter. Beko Wood impresses as the tragic Christian and Lola Oteh-Cole is wonderful as the determined Olayinka, showing her softer side during her courtship with Tommy. Tommy’s shift from cocky pilot to a broken man with no purpose is handled nicely without melodrama by Tobi Olutayo.
Our War is a heartfelt and hard-hitting production with scenes that will make your blood boil, but the presence of the older women characters throughout the play creates a calm, almost soothing storytelling effect that channels that anger to educate and inspire.