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Play on! Coventry Belgrade ***** This was a fabulous show. It shone in every respect: dance, band, characterisation, wit, invention. And in its clever adaptation, to a degree, of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night: Orsino, Feste, but above all the disguised Viola. It's Viola, disguised as the boy 'Vyman', who is the star of the show, although all others shone. She is the one for whom the Duke (Earl Gregory) falls in love, but is appalled that he has fallen for a boy. Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, English and by birth Nigerian, is a feast of deftly executed, sometimes cheerfully unexpected moves. Kitted out in a tight suit, elegant and pliable, she not so much flounces as manoeuvres, her gestures marvellously devised, her boylike movements and gestures remarkably refined. Only when her splendid voice rises on high do we get the first clue that she is in fact not a lad. She convinces utterly, until the staggeringly contrived moment when, all her clothing shed in one, she reveals herself as a girl. What a moment. What masterly direction (Michael Buffong). The adult character in this marvellous, inspiring all-black ensemble who most delighted the audience, especially latterly, was Cameron Bernard Jones, dubbed or nicknamed 'Rev', whose increasingly brilliant dancing effortlessly captured the imagination. His vivid antics provided a wealth of - as Shakespeare would have put it - mirth, finely calibrated humour and vivid drollery. Waggish, cheeky and constantly funny, he did much to uplift the show's strikingly pointed cleverness. A real treat. There were other marvels. Among the men, Lifford Shillingford as 'Sweets', vital and notable on every appearance, and Llewellyn Jamal as the 'Jester' - not entirely the Bard's Feste, but a nicely devised, varied cousin.
But stealing her scenes with an astounding voice, well worthy of top-class opera, was Koko Alexandra as 'Lady Liv' (Olivia). The amplitude of her voice, at full blast (which was often), brought a fire and explosiveness to the whole show. Her sheer professionalism shone through at every moment. Hers was a really knockout performance. The other girl leads impacted too - Tanya Edwards (Miss Mary, sensitive and tender) and Gleanne Purcell-Brown (Ceecee), who as Alexandra's cover must have both vital power and appealing vocal colour, and who brought both energy and charm. The quality of the full dance ensemble, right from the very start, was utterly superb. Much must be owed to the ingenious choreographer, Kenrick 'H20' Sandy, who designed one thrilling, frantic sequence after another and prised from his eight-person team miracles of sparky, fast-moving shindigs, in which the magnificent unity of eye-dazzling, quick-step pirouetting - was, intermittently rock quality, but much more, jazz: unbelievably finessed, utterly united, moving incredibly as one, ravishing and radiant: glittering, scintillating, sensational. Bringing the exuberance and pzazz which gave the entire show its energy and thrust was Musical Director Ashton Moore's massively competent compact band. The music - Duke Ellington's, full of unmatched dynamic zip and intensely profound expression - was orchestrated by Benjamin Kwasi Burrell. It was excellent - resplendent and glorious - at every turn. The keyboard's (piano's) first burst of brilliance indicated what was to come. Finely projected woodwind (Kaz Hamilton), eruptions of brass (Alexander Polack), double bass (Chris Hyde, Josh Vadiveloo) all received their prominent moments, the keyboard thrilled, and what unremitting excellence they all delivered. Most professional was the way they united so perfectly to accompany and support the entire ensemble. Exemplary. Wow! This Talawa Theatre Company production, co-produced by Coventry Belgrade and Birmingham Hippodrome among other theatres production runs to 5 October in Coventry before going on tour and returning to the Midlands at Birmingham Hippodrome from 6-9 November, Roderic Dunnett 09-24 |
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