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A CurtainUp London Review
King Hedley II
By Ben Clover
|
He got the end and the beginning all planned out for you. All you got is that little bit in the middle
-- Stool Pigeon |
Joseph Marcell as Elmore and Nicholas Monu as King Hedley (Photo: EPO) |
The piece cleverly evoked the sense of possibility in this decade when a black middle class did begin to emerge. Yet in the end we also see the truth of poor people everywhere, that things never change much for the better, that to get ahead means stealing from others as poor as you and that pride is an expensive thing to have.
My only real problems with the piece are a lack of clarity in the final scene, when the fight direction made it unclear as to exactly what was going on. Sadly this blurs the focus at the climax and leaves the audience unable to understand the characters fully (although it does encourage speculation and perhaps this is the point).
The cast are uniformly excellent. Nicholas Monu brings a regal bearing to the title role but, such were the strengths of the supporting characters, that at the end it felt more like a societial sacrifice than his personal tragedy. Tonya's (Rakie Ayola) role was slight for most of the play but she tore into her centrepiece speech like it had been boiling inside her for far too long. However it is travelling hustler Elmore (Joseph Marcell) and King's friend Mister (Eddie Nestor) who really steal the show. Marcell has a presence that demands your absolute attention and his performance managed to evoke both a flawed man and someone aware of himself as an instrument of fate. As King Hedley's lieutenant Nestor was everything a good Horatio should be: loyal, aware and helpless to save his friend. Mister also has the funniest lines and delivers them with a precision the Pentagon would envy.
For a three hour piece the play does well to hold the audiences attention as strongly as it does and I look forward to the final play of the nine. The night ends almost magically as spilt blood revives a cat said to have lived since 1619, a significant date making it probably the most symbolic cat's miaow ever heard on the English stage.
Editor's Note: Interestingly, as Ben Clover saw King Hedley, Brian Stokes Mitchell, who starred in the play in the States, has gone back to his musical roots as the central character in Man Of La Mancha, restaged and directed by London director Jonathan Kent.
King Hedley (New York review)
Man Of La Mancha
| King Hedley II
Written by August Wilson Directed by Paulette Randall With: Rakie Ayola, Pat Bowie, Joseph Marcell, Nicholas Monu, Eddie Nestor, Stefan Kalipha Designed by Niki Turner Lighting Design: Neil Austin Running time: Three hours with one interval Box Office: 020 7328 1000 Booking to 8th February 2003 Reviewed by Ben Clover based on 11th December 2002 performance at the Tricycle, 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 (Tube Station: Kilburn) |
Books Make Great Gifts
Peter Ackroyd's History of London: The Biography
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Theater Books Make Great Gifts
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Ridiculous!The Theatrical Life & Times of Charles Ludlam
The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
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Peter Ackroyd's History of London: The Biography
London Sketchbook
6,500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
Click image to buy.
Go here for details and larger image.
Theater Books Make Great Gifts
At This Theater
Ridiculous!The Theatrical Life & Times of Charles Ludlam
The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
Click image to buy.
Go here for details and larger image.