Dark and honest, young lives unravel when poverty and ambition come into conflict.
‘Can I get back to you?’ My personal favorite line of the show and my response if you asked me my opinion. Jonathan Brown’s Knife on The Table left me with mixed feelings. A moving story that takes slightly too long to come together but provides a fascinating study of relationships tested by unbridled ambition.
Following Flint, a teenager teetering on the edge of gang life, and Book, his childhood sweetheart determined to raise herself up to be a doctor, Knife on The Table is a stirring tragedy. It’s difficult to tell whether it’s the over-the-top performances from the cast or the dialogue itself that gives Knife on The Table that soap opera feel, either way it lends an almost comical feeling to a story of the utmost seriousness. The climatic finale suffers the most from this over-dramatisation, detracting from the effectiveness of events that should have pushed the audience to tears.
Jez Davess-Humphrey shined in the role of Flint. He faultlessly conveyed an intensely complex character, moving and amusing in equal measure. Moyosola brought the ambitious Book to life, though her performance wasn’t quite as accomplished as her costars’. She is a talented actress, but her musical theater-esq style of acting was out of place in this drama. The two leads did have excellent chemistry. Helen Ajayi’s performance as pregnant teenage Shania was sometimes forced but overall effective. Magdalene Mills was a force to be reckoned with as Chantal. Jonathan Brown’s Angel was less than convincing, very much reminiscent of a cheesy film mobster. Emma Bakare delighted as Carol and her chemistry with Nicholas Clarke, who delivered an excellent performance as Danny, was lovely. Rowan Armitt-Brewster as Bragg delivered the most memorable performance of the night for me; his embodiment of the unstable young man’s deterioration was thrilling.
Drummer Fred Hills drove the show; his steady rhythms set the pace and tone of the performance. Having the drums and the drummer on the stage throughout the show was original and my favorite of the director’s decisions. The first of the two acts featured several storylines that initially seemed unconnected but eventually tied into one cohesive tale. Unfortunately the plot took too long to come together; a number of audience members failed to return after the intermission. The second act flowed much better than the first. The simple set up of the theater is extremely effective. At the back of the stage stands scaffolding hosting a drummer and side lights much like street lights. Two blocks, the only other set items, are used to convey the many different settings.
Not quite perfect, Knife on The Table is nonetheless effective, exciting, and emotional.