A timely story but not very nimbly told
On the Ropes is a true story that follows the tumultuous life of Vernon Vanriel, from his early life as a British boxing champion to his battles outside the ring with addiction, mental health crises and the utter cruelty of Windrush generation hostile immigration policies. Vanriel himself is credited as a co-writer on the piece and it feels fitting that the show debuts at Park Theatre, as Vernon was raised and lived most of his life in Tottenham. Perhaps equally fittingly, given Vanriel’s life story, the production has faced serious obstacles getting to the stage: due to illness, the cast have had only 10 days of in-person rehearsals and 7 rehearsals over Zoom before opening this two and a half hour show to audiences.
The story that this play has to tell is timely and relevant, touching on many key contemporary issues. Vanriel (Mensah Bediako) is a Black working class protagonist who exemplifies resilience and strength in the face of injustice. The show incorporates a range of blues and reggae songs, sung by the cast and evoking the 1970s and ‘80s Black British landscape. Numbers such as ‘Young, Gifted and Black’ are celebratory, making much-needed space for Black joy and achievement on stage. That said, the show does not shy away from depictions of racism and prejudice. There is a notable scene in act 1 of police brutality that includes the phrase “I can’t breathe”, a clear reference to the murder of George Floyd that positions the show within contemporary discourse around systemic racism.
However, it is not until much later in the play that On the Ropes makes its most insightful commentary on institutional British racism, with the depiction of a cruel and life-threatening immigration system. It is rare to see this story told through the perspective of someone ‘locked out’ of the country: Vanriel travelled to Jamaica and then found himself unable to return to the UK, in spite of his indefinite leave to remain. Unable to find work or to claim state support in Jamaica, he became homeless and had to rely on his family back in London to help fight his case for over a decade. With Vanriel’s court case against the UK government only wrapping up in 2021, this show could not be much more at the forefront of the conversation when it comes to the Windrush scandal and its aftershocks.
Unfortunately, the script has a major pacing problem: it skates over meaningful moments in the first half, and then drags painfully in the second. The beginning feels like watching a multimedia Wikipedia article, with a lot of telling and not enough showing. The two person ensemble (Ashley D Gayle and Amber James) show incredible versatility switching between dozens of characters, but the writing doesn’t give enough pause for us to connect with any one character on an emotional level. In Vernon’s early life, there’s a lack of tangible stakes as every dilemma is quickly resolved. It is not until the addiction storyline that we see consequences and have the opportunity to get to know our protagonist beyond a surface level, caught in the cycle of “cocaine-fuelled depression and depression-fuelled cocaine”. But then the script flips in Vernon’s later life, as the narrative teeters at the brink of ‘poverty porn’, almost fetishising the depths of misery our protagonist must suffer through. Of course, this is a show based on real life events: but those events need to be curated to form a compelling narrative. Whilst the songs do a great job of setting the general tone and atmosphere, they often feel awkwardly inserted and rarely advance the plot. It is a long show and it frequently feels like it would benefit from the hands of an editor or a dramaturg to put us back on a steady narrative course.
Yet, in spite of these critical storytelling flaws, the charm and dedication of the cast shines through and gives life to the story at the heart of it all. Although it is difficult to believe Bediako as a young upstart, he really comes into his own as a more mature Vernon and his physicality is convincing at every stage. Both Gayle and James do impressive work warming up the audience into the boxing spirit, and bringing an energy to the stage that is often lacking in the script. James is, however, the standout performer of the cast; her comedic timing is excellent, her characters well defined and numerous, and she leads the choreography with a confidence that defies such a short rehearsal period. She is certainly one to watch. It would be equally remiss not to praise designer, Zahra Mansouri, for the versatility of her boxing ring set. There is clearly a very talented team behind On the Ropes and an important story to be told; this production could do with greater refinement in the telling and fewer minutes in the runtime.