Meet the Kids
Desiri Okobia who also co-directs with Ellis Metzger
Bridge House Theatre, Penge
Star rating 2
This is a difficult show to review fairly because although it has a lot of heart and a huge amount of effort has gone into it, it also has many flaws and shortcomings. Perhaps “work in progress” is the kindest and most accurate descriptor.
Desiri Okobia, who also plays the teacher, Mrs Cleopatra, developed this play as part of her MA. It sets out to give a voice to young people in an inner-London school. Four students represent over-achievement, vulnerability, and the power of poetry and rapping. Dozens of less-than seamless short scenes (far too much walking on and off) depict them confronting their various issues until we begin to see connections between them and a narrative, of sorts, emerges. A cast of eight allows four other characters to interact with them and there’s some multi-roling.
Now, most of these actors are very young and I suspect have had little or no professional training. Yes, there are some strengths here but much of the acting is pretty wooden and there are audibility and projection problems even in the Bridge House’s bijou 50-seater thrust space.
The show began life at Theatre Peckham earlier this year and it’s good news that it’s getting a second run now because it’s a valiant attempt to let audience members of all ages see and hear what young people think and go through. The most chilling story in the mix is Jessica who is picked up by a man of 24 – a Brixton drug dealer – who grooms and controls her until a classmate rescues her. It’s frighteningly plausible
It’s also encouraging to see a predominantly young cast working enthusiastically together to create theatre and convey important messages.
