While full of potential, Taking It Back lacks on execution
Peckham Fringe 2023 is back for the second year and running until the 4th of June, bringing a wide variety of themes and styles this spring allowing for new writing, comedy, poetry, improvisation and many more.
Taking It Back, writen by Dijah-Zahra, was a very relevant play about the appropriation of African culture by European countries and tackles the artefacts that, despite numerous appeals and negotiations, remain on British soil.
The play follows a simple structure of mise en scène as a group of vigilantes decide to rob British museums and return the artefacts to the countries that they were taken from.
The clever writing and powerful themes fall short in terms of execution with over-explanation and a hesitant cast that feels uncertain and unsure about the script. The words are powerful, but when theatre becomes about telling instead of showing it loses some of its power.
While full of potential, the direction lacks as well with not-so-sleek transitions, an irregular pace that keeps dropping and some jokes that, despite being funny, don’t land with the audience because of the delivery.
It was a justified piece of work while not being preachy. The characters were aware of the duality of their actions. “Who’s robbing who?” was the question I was left with at the end of the show.
A show full of potential that lacked the technical aspects. The vocals of the actors were not at a desirable level, making it impossible to hear their words in some scenes.
Overall, even though it’s a very relevant play with a deserving seat at the table, in terms of the discussions we should be having today, the execution, directing and performance stopped it from reaching its full potential.
In future productions, more confidence in terms of performance, sturdier directing and overall technique to sustain the already existing passion, will take Taking it Back to a new level. And I look forward to seeing it then once again.