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by Rikki Beadle-Blair Directed by Dawn Reid Theatre Royal Stratford East 2 – 31 May, 2008
A review by Marion Drew for EXTRA! EXTRA!
familyman is a play which embraces contemporary issues facing black (and other) London youth head-on and with gusto. The problems are clearly laid out; teen pregnancy, corporal punishment, parental responsibilities, but perhaps also on offer is the beginnings of a tentative way to address them, in a word - family. Relationships that begin in a teenage seed-sowing, caution-to-the-wind moment and travel a rocky road, binding people together as they go, can nevertheless be the backbone of what it takes to make it through. This production rocked. The energy from the stage was palpable and the audience responded magnificently. ‘What you can’t hear’ says Precious (Llewella Gideon), Ceasar’s mother, ‘you must feel!’ roared back the audience. The audiences at the Stratford are legendary for their responsiveness, and they were in full throttle on this night. Ceasar asks the question, ‘what should I do?’ and more than one audience member offered a snappy, sassy suggestion, to collective delight. As Rikki says in an interview, ‘I bear that (the Stratford audiences reputation) in mind when I write for this theatre,’ and how well he read his audience in this instance. ‘Parenting is a messy business’, says Deanna, but there was nothing messy about this play. Clear, hard-hitting, funny and tragic at once, it was up front, loud and as promised, fast and funny. There were times when one didn’t know whether to laugh or cry - a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Sometimes the ride was almost too fast for comfort, but hey, that’s life isn’t it? It is impossible to single out any one performance from this solid, excellent cast. They were a tight-knit group, feeding beautifully off each other, and their obvious enjoyment and commitment to their roles was infectious. Skilful directing (Dawn Reid) ensured that Gary Beadle as Ceasar, as commanding a presence as he is, did not dominate, and the younger members of the cast in particular, Rikki McLeod as Nelson, Aaron Taylor as his friend Che, and Ayesha Antoine as Keisha, more than held their own. Totally believable and completely focused, they were all mesmerising, and richly deserved their standing ovation. As Rikki says when asked what he wanted the audience to take away with them, ‘I hope they will review their own attitudes to family and friendship,’ I would think that this play will indeed be discussed in many a family of those lucky enough to experience this spirited piece of theatre. See it if you can.
2nd to the 31st May Tuesday to Saturday - 7.30pm Tuesday 13th May (only) 6.30pm Extra Shows: 2pm Wed 14th May and Sat 31st May ASSISTED PERFORMANCESSign Interpreted performance for the deaf and hard of hearing
Captioned performance for the hard of hearing Please note: this production has a guidance age of 15+TICKETS: £12 - £19, concessions available Box Office: 020 8534 0310. Theatre Royal Stratford East
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