Silver Shores (Tristan Bates Theatre)

“Did they forget to switch the lights on…?”

Taken from http://www.tristanbatestheatre.co.uk

Plunged into pitch dark at the outset of the play, the quiet whimpers of a lone cast member are, for a time, the only sound we hear. As two other voices react to his sobs we find ourselves, like the inmates on stage, unable to see, feeling lost, claustrophobic, and somewhat agitated.

Thus opens an intriguing look at the lives of three slaves, captured from their homes in West Africa, and subjected to solitary confinement; on board a slave ship where anthropologist, Kayode Joseph, examines their struggles with an unsettling and frustrating naivety. A slave himself, albeit a well-educated and well-dressed one, Kayode’s interaction with the West African detainees soon reveals to him the injustice and humiliating reality of his own position.

As the lights fade up we see three prisoners trapped within the confines of their individual boxes, represented by chalk-drawn lines on the floor. The suggestion of the ship’s boards are back lit by a menacing red glow; and a small spot-lit corner down stage right is reserved for Kayode’s writing retreat, in a fantastic use of space that was incredibly effective.

Emmanuel Akintunde played the newly captured Lekan, whose dreams and fresh memories of home flavour his disbelief with the hope of escape and finally getting to take a beautiful bride. His idealism and optimism are counteracted by Edd Muruako’s Villager, a seasoned slave who has little or no recollection of his time as a free man. Villager’s suggested insanity, as a result of a long time in captivity, is kept in check, for a time, by the steady and authoritative voice of Warrior, played by Tapiwa Madovi, a quiet and brooding realist.

Whilst at times I found that Tyson Oba’s character, Kayode, acted as more of a plot device than a well-rounded character; the naive prattling of this westernised “pet” slave offered a fascinating look at the nature of freedom and made this a thought-provoking and intriguing play. The interplay between the three bound slaves as they dared to plan their escape was brilliantly delivered, particularly considering the confines of their relatively static positions on stage. The clever movement device which rotated the cast from one “box” to another, accompanied by the steady beat of a live drum, ensured that neither cast nor audience grew uncomfortable with the lack of movement on stage, and helped to facilitate the changing dynamics within the play.

With stand-out performances from Emmanuel Akintunde and Tapiwa Madovi, credit is due to Tian Glasgow, producer, writer and director of this unique production; and to the production team who helped bring the project together. An impressive theatrical debut for Tian Glasgow’s company, New Slang Productions, Silver Shores delivered a moving, intimate and fresh take on questions about freedom and identity.