Written by: Naomi Lawson (@NaomiMLawson)
Ovalhouse, London
****
Any play that begins with a rendition of George Michael’s Faith certainly captures the attention
of an audience. And indeed, Bilimankhwe Arts’ Love on Trial is a one-man play about illegal homosexuality in
Malawi, another of the Ovalhouse’s Counter Culture commissions, where our
attention is gripped throughout.
Adapted and directed by Roe Lane, the play takes its basis from
Stanley Kenani’s Caine award nominated short story about the trial and
incarceration of a young man from his native Malawi. Lane’s play however, takes
this story and runs it in parallel to the media frenzy and trial of singer
George Michael after his arrest for conducting ‘lewd acts’ in an LA public
toilet. It’s undoubtedly an interesting premise: comparing the ‘primitive’
attitudes of many African countries towards homosexuality, with Western
reactions towards the singer’s incident and discovering that in fact there are
more similarities than one might think. There are times however when the change
of focus to Michael’s case, denoted by a cooler lighting variation (Charlie
Morgan Jones) and single performer Bailey Patrick donning a pair of shades, halts
the flow slightly, with perhaps better ways by which to integrate the two
worlds.
Nonetheless, it’s a praise-worthy production. Aided by Diana Phiri and
Edwin Flay as voice overs, Patrick commands the many voices of the tale
masterfully. The sole figure on a small, raised stage in the middle of the
audience, his storytelling is complemented by the set design (Adam Purnell). A
tall pole sits in the middle of the stage with long measures of string
stretching out from it. It is on these strings that Patrick pegs up figures of
men made from newspaper cuttings: Charles Chikwanje (the man sentenced to
twelve years in prison after being caught having sex with his unnamed lover);
Mr Kachingwe (an old local man who caught and reported the ‘offense’); Khama
Mitengo (the famous presenter who interviews Charles); Maxwell (Mr Kachingwe’s
childhood friend, who urges him to stop spreading the story), to name but a few
of the characters they represent. Patrick
acts as both narrator and characters, showing a sense of loyalty to the voices
in Kenani’s short story (an effort that is clearly important to Bilimankhwe
Arts as, on a one-off appearance, the writer is brought on stage to interview
after the play).
Patrick switches between these voices with great ease, engaging the
audience from the off with not only these portrayals but also by directly
addressing the audience at times. This move firmly cements the piece as an
‘issue play’, as we are literally forced to confront the issues that the play
discusses. Yet its storytelling nature means it does not feel overly didactic. It
draws on comedic and emotional elements throughout, so that as well as being
confronted by such issues we are also confronted with real emotion: the
playful, humorous nature of Mr Kachinghwe, a man who just wants to gossip and
laugh with friends over a drink, to the raw sentiment of a man locked away for
simply being in love.
This play is not slick or flashy but it is not required to be, it is
an honest look at an issue that is often surrounded by a lot of noise. Love on Trial cuts through this noise
with good, funny, touching, but most of all, provoking storytelling, a play
that thoroughly deserves your attention.
This production runs until 23 February 2013.
For more information: http://www.ovalhouse.com/whatson/detail/love-on-trial
@Ovalhouse
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