The words of Ntozake Shange are delivered with Shakespearean quality at the Yard theatre
Having taken years out for renovation, the Yard has reopened with what is no doubt an absolute smash hit for its theatrical canon.
Shange’s words hit just as hard today. Particularly the prevalence of violence against women by somebody they know against the narratives of violence against women being something enacted only by strangers. There is an isolation created by the distrust this play sows in the first 20 minutes. From here, the isolation continues—these are mostly monologues, after all. The push of this piece are those solitary, often painful moments performed onstage. The pull is the moment the ensemble flood the space again, to remind us of our togetherness. Diane Page’s direction and vision for this edition of the play prioritise the words of Shange in a way that does not dull the visual aspect of the play. This is in large part due to the immense high quality of the performances by the cast.
In this version, Ibilola Rossi’s character of the lady in brown feels almost like the mother of the piece, ushering in and out moments of intensity, bringing the ensemble together. She simultaneously delivers the story of a young girl’s affection for the historical figure Toussaint Louverture with great wit, with a performance of the girl that balances the clarity of the girl’s age without infantalising her to a comical degree. Cherrelle Skeete displays an immense dynamism in her performance of lady in red. Facial expressions dart across her face quick enough to miss if you’re not paying attention, creating great depth to her characterisation. It’s as though she could convey the entire monologue without uttering a word. There is one particularly distressing monologue which sees her play four characters, switching between them seamlessly through the high intensity scenario. It is no doubt a pinnacle moment in the play, bringing the cast together again to comfort this character in the aftermath.
Nadine Higgin also commands the stage, creating a clarity of space which transports us to all the various corners of the states that this play takes place across. Her ability to dominate the stage is accompanied by great sensitivity, a balance that really showcases her breadth of performance. The whole ensemble both come together as one and allow each other to shine, no one actor seeming to outweigh another’s performance. It could be easy for this style to become competitive, but the performers all offer entirely different things. The result is an emphatic exploration of black womanhood and a rich portrait of modern America.
The cast’s phenomenal performances are supported by some excellent lighting design from Ali Hunter. The choices made us focus in on the bodies in the space, heightening the environment despite the bare stage. This is theatre at its best—when every person involved clearly has great appreciation and attention to the source material, giving it their absolute all. By the end, the audience were still singing along, even after the cast had departed the stage – a sign of a show that sticks to its audience long after it’s finished.
This show runs at the Yard until 17th October. Tickets here.