A deeply moving piece of theatre with beautiful spiritual music about the pursuit of Black excellence as a young queer man.
Choir Boy at Stratford East is a deeply moving piece of theatre about the pursuit of Black excellence as a young queer man. Written by Academy Award winning writer Tarell Alvin McCraney, directed by Nancy Medina and co-directed by Tatenda Shamiso, this transfer from Bristol Old Vic has arrived to captivate London audiences.
The play looks into the lives of five young Black men at an elite boys boarding school in America. We see how each of the boys behave and interact in the prestigious school choir, and how their own lived experience influence the way they navigate this high-pressure environment. The story surrounds Pharus, a young queer Black man, who has earned his position as choir leader and soloist. Terique Jarrett leads the cast with humour and sensitivity and gives a fantastically layered performance as Pharus. Jarrett’s stage presence is electric and endears the audience to Pharus’ outgoing but occasionally combative personality. Freddie MacBruce joins the cast as AJ, a character who starts off in the background but gives one of the most emotionally impactful moments at the climax of the show. Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (as David) and Rabi Konde (as Bobby) expertly portray characters with differing perspectives navigating class, legacy, religion, queerness and grief. Khalid Daley as JR provides fantastic comic relief without ever taking away from the more serious themes of the play. Each of the actors (not to forget Doan Broni and Martin Turner) give extremely grounded performances which succeed in welcoming the audience into the unique world of Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys.
The music in this show was outstanding. Throughout the show, the choir boys sing spirituals and worship songs, originating from enslaved people in America. These are sung acapella and move between diegetic and non-diegetic depending on the scene. Musical direction and arrangement by Femi Temowo, the music was deeply moving and spiritual, connecting with every single person sat in the theatre. The music does more than set the mood of the play, but provides a necessary outlet of expression for Pharus and the other boys. The writing discusses the messaging of these spirituals, and debates one character’s connection to the music itself versus another character’s view that the music holds importance for the instructions it provided for their ancestor’s routes toward freedom. There is so much nuance in every aspect of the writing, and the play frames these political topics from the realistic perspectives of the young men.
The direction and design of the show was simple but effective. The timeless beautiful dark wooden setting is versatile for the choir room, dormitories and various interior rooms of the school. The stylised movement was gorgeous in the intimate moments of the play, particularly when the boys are comforting a character who is suffering from grief. Overall, Choir Boy is a fantastically performed, written and directed coming-of-age piece of theatre.
Author: Victoria Lee
Ticketing info: https://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/choir-boy