Osman gives a dynamic and powerful performance in this warm and witty autobiographical exploration of identity, dreaming and bodily fluids.
Razak Osman really can do it all. He’s an actor, rapper, dancer and comedian, all wrapped into one instantly likeable stage presence. However, to make ends meet, and for the last 11 years, he has also been working a day (or should I say night) job as a TfL station customer service assistant, a role in which, he says, he has “seen things”. Through anecdotes, movement and multi-rolling comedy, Osman plunges us headfirst into the often-disgusting world of late-night Tube travel, whilst also weaving a clever narrative about his own life, his hopes and dreams, and the difficulties of juggling your passions and work – something that many of us can relate to.
Tube Chronicles started as a series of Instagram reels in which Osman would share funny stories from his work, which he then developed into a 20-minute piece incorporating rap and poetry into the performance. After this, he teamed up with director Ashley Joseph for further development. Joseph was dramaturg on previous productions and is now co-director.
Osman’s sheer commitment to his characters is mesmerising. As he takes us through these baffling late-night interactions, he becomes these people. Whether it be drunk partiers, racist commuters or lost voices, Osman’s characterisation through gesture and accent is beautifully imagined. There are elements of slapstick and clowning here, with Osman clomping around the stage to exaggerate certain larger-than-life characters. But there is heart here too, most powerfully when he talks about having to tell rough sleepers to move on, including finding a young woman who has been kicked out of her home.
As the piece goes on, Osman also explores his own struggles, how he empathises with people who barge through the ticket barriers, and his double life balancing his acting work with this job. These are the most powerful moments of the piece, where the façade is pulled down and we see directly into the person in front of us.
There is great variety in the work, and Osman makes full use of his talents, often breaking into dance routines or rapping, accentuating key moments with a change in form that catapults us into more dream-like worlds, keeping the pace swift and dynamic. As Osman becomes overwhelmed by the voices around him, his body is moved to strange places. These movements are effortless, and Osman makes effective use of the small space, bounding around the stage with the grace of a ballet dancer but with the comic chops of Buster Keaton. These sections, combined with Poppy Morley’s inventive sound design and Avery Elliott’s lighting, are totally immersive.
Osman states in the Q&A after the show that the piece is still evolving, and that with every performance, something new is learned. However, in no way does this production come across as a work in progress; it is refined, accomplished and thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.
All aboard…
Tube Chronicles is part of Brixton House’s Housemates Festival, and is running from 1-5 September