Birmingham Rep – until 29th June 2024
Reviewed by Emma Millward
5*****
The Rush Theatre Company bought their narrated musical interpretation of the history of Jamaica to the Birmingham Rep stage last night. The story covers the arrival and claiming by Christopher Columbus in 1494, through to the Windrush migrants that were transported to England on the HMS Empire Windrush in 1948 to help the British Government to fill shortages in the labour market.
The cast and set are both minimal. We have a narrator, a DJ, three vocalists and the wonderful 8 piece JA Reggae Band. The backdrop is a multimedia screen that displays the various pieces of media that intersperse the show. This included videos, photos and a spinning vinyl record that displays the name of each song performed.
The show started as it meant to go on, after a Muppet-style video depicting the arrival of the HMS Empire Windrush, DJ Ken Dread appeared at the back of the auditorium with his suitcase asking us to wave the boarding passes we had been given earlier in the evening, as “We don’t want any stowaways!!”. Dread displayed the same exuberant, lively stage presence throughout the show. He jumps around the stage encouraging the audience to clap, cheer and dance. He introduced us to the narrator, Andrina Davis, an actress and comedian from Birmingham. She takes us right back into the history of the Arawak people whose lives were changed when ‘uninvited guest’ Columbus arrived and slavery under Spanish Rule began, before British Rule conquered and took over in 1655, making it part of the West Indies.
The main topic of the show is, of course, the Windrush Generation and their journey to England and how they helped change the face of Britain. Many of the new arrivals found work in the newly created NHS. They bought new fashion and musical styles with them, but many faced hardships in their new homes, due to resistance to their arrival and the racism they endured.
Between the narrator’s stories, facts and images of the history, we are treated to Jamaican themed musical interludes from the JA Reggae Band, with the help of powerhouse vocalists Letitia George and Ika. Songs ranged from ‘Baby Come Back’ to Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’. Taking in a bit of Marvin Gaye and 2-Tone along the way. The brass section is particularly entertaining during this section, as they danced across the stage to ‘One Step Beyond’ by Madness.
The show doesn’t shy away from talking about some of the more taboo subjects along the way. Enoch Powell’s infamous ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech is mentioned, as is the current government’s own crusade against migrants. The Narrator once again asks to see our boarding passes, as she is sure the audience “don’t want to be sent off to Rwanda”. This was met with a mix of surprise and applause from the crowd.
Rush- A Joyous Jamaican Journey definitely lives up to its title. It’s an energetic and glorious show from start to finish. Throughout the show, the audience cheered, sang and got to their feet to dance. The temperature outside in Brum was hot, but the Rush Theatre and JA Reggae Band made sure it was extra ‘Hot Hot Hot’ inside the Rep last night.