An enchanting piece of theatre that captures the essence of youth, first love and heartbreak’
When It Snows in April depicts the growing pains of trying to discover and understand oneself as a young person. It explores trauma and loss in a way that feels authentic and gracious, examining how they can impact our relationships with others. It is an extremely exciting debut from playwright and actress Chantelle Alle and staged at the Streatham Space Project as part of the South London Previews Festival.
The performances from Elise Palmer (playing April) and Kofi De-Graft-Jordan (playing Francis) were electric, with the fizz of their chemistry and their expert portrayal of the awkwardness and vulnerability of their characters, as well as the nuances of their change and growth as we move through the play. They appeared especially comfortable in the scenes where they were in silence or relying solely on physicality for the storytelling, whether it be their looks across the room at a party, or in moments where Francis would watch April read. Under Xanthus’s direction, these moments were especially captivating, as so much could be read from their body language and eye contact.
De-Graft-Jordan and Palmer moved through the space in a way that captured the passing of time and the stop-start nature of their relationship, although the pacing sometimes felt a little off. The transitions felt drawn-out at points and occasionally took away from the scenes, although the music did help to smooth these out. The use of music in the piece (hats off to composer and sound designer Monterey J) was excellent and, coupled with the incredible lighting and moments of projection on the back wall, which skilfully painted the world and time we were inhabiting – a time that whisked me off back to 2010, to year 9, to maths class, Duke of Edinburgh, Blackberry phones and to ‘PING for a like’ days. The music also served as a dialogue between the characters when they could not find one for themselves, highlighting their connection. Audience participation was orchestrated expertly into the performance, which created moments for off-stage connection, too.
There was a couple of moments when it felt like less could be more and that there was a bit of an overflow of elements – physical theatre as well as naturalistic dance, a film of the actors that felt a little unnecessary and threw us out of the world for a moment, and perhaps a slight heaviness on exposition in a couple of places. But it felt only right given the themes of art and youth that the artists should explore different creative possibilities with this play, and it was certainly brave and wonderfully initiative.
A book is one of the central images for the play, which felt significant. April’s obsession with Noughts and Crosses resonated with me, as I am sure it would with any other booklover; the poignancy of a romance we read about in books as a teen is unmatched – they were our true first loves. De-Graft-Jordan and Palmer were able to inhabit this feeling of beauty and nostalgia, casting a magical spell over the audience. There was also the evocation of Real vs Fantasy – the idea that we should be open to experiences and living out our own stories. That romanticising our lives can be a great thing to do – as Alle has proven in her creation of this play, finding the romance of our youth and bringing it back to life.
Alle manages to handle our childhoods with care and respect. The play never looks down on the young people through a patronising adult lens but looks on them with affection and gives them grace. We feel both worry and excitement for them simultaneously, because we know what they might face.
In speaking to one of the performer’s fathers, I asked what he liked about the play. He told me that he liked that it was about ‘Love. Black love. But – actually – it’s about Love.’
When It Snows in April is certainly full of joy, and love. It also asks the questions;
How do we grow together and grow apart?
When do we know when to let go of what once was good for us?
How can childhood trauma pose an obstacle to our own happiness and impact our relationships?
Ultimately, this play left me with more peace and calm than questions. It encompasses the feeling of hope, and is a celebration of art.
When It Snows in April is certainly a title to remember, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.
REVIEWER: Ella Rowdon