“Dior Clarke shines with star quality in this welcome revival.”
Stevie Nicks’ Bootylicious guitar riff booms through The Pit of the Barbican as Dior Clarke struts out to the taunting lyrics of Destiny’s Child, ‘I don’t think you can handle this’. He slams into the splits, cartwheels about, looks us up and down — I really am starting to think we can’t handle this. The firebrand Clarke makes a triumphant return to The Pit with the semi-autobiographical Passion Fruit, the collaboration with playwright Stephanie Martin which sold out its 2022 run and earned an impressive five Black British Theatre Award nominations.
The super supine Clarke comes out roaring with his impressive moves, eating the space like a proud lion, the master of his domain. ‘This is a self love story’ he tells us, though the journey was anything but simple. In two acts dealing with childhood years and late adolescence respectively, Clarke brings us into the reality of Romeo, a Black boy growing up in North London’s council estates. The central conflict of the work lies in Romeo struggling within the confines of a macho culture as a gay man. His masquerading is oftentimes hilarious, but conversations with his peers reminds us of the real threat of becoming an outcast.
Clarke is a performer with wow factor. Seemingly spring-loaded, he is a remarkable mover. He’s also got a real sense of comedic know-how, his widening eyes and tilting head have a sit-com sensibility as Romeo claps back to his critics. Romeo is by no means without fault, in the second act he is particularly hardened by his circumstances. Unafraid to play with fire with what can be some pretty galling cheek, he strays further from himself as we watch the descent through our fingers. Selina Armoudon is a strong foil as his beleaguered mother, always reaching further within herself to provide her child some comfort or wisdom. Troy Alexander — who dons many roles — is excellent as his less patient grandmother, quick to berate Romeo in thundering Patois.
Alexander and Ashley Byam are especially memorable for their chameleonic capabilities, running the gamut of roles from Romeo’s world: tutting matriarchs, father figures, love-interests, roadmen. Clarke and Martin’s script is hilarious, brimming with familial quips and great send ups of school yard archetypes. There’s a lot of grit too, which isn’t always given the right amount of space to be dealt with — can everything be fixed by affirmations from mum? These weighted moments, while occasionally clunky, certainly do not dim Clarke’s shine. Brilliantly compelling and with great physical presence, Dior Clarke is an entertainer with a capital E, whether you can handle him or not.
Passion Fruit tours to Cambridge on the 7-8 May. Tickets are available here.