Review: Statues, Bush Theatre

Written by and starring Azan Ahmed, Statues is a wonderfully funny, moving piece about family, loss, and heritage. Using the central theme from Hamlet (a son’s grief for his lost, flawed father) it delivers thought-provoking messaging about the consequences of certain words depending on who is using them, whilst framing the production with cleverly chosen music, and sublime acting.

Yusuf (Ahmed) is a 26 year old Muslim, third generation British Pakistani: also an Oxford Graduate and the youngest ever Head of English at his alma mater. We find him in the living room of a council flat in South Kilburn, which belonged to his recently deceased father. He is in the process of packing up the flat, shortly before he begins his new job at his old school.

Set in the smaller of the studios at the Bush, staging is minimal other than a wonderfully dense thick grey carpet, reminiscent of an older generation. Lighting is on point, picking out squares on the floor as needed, and well-chosen music a constant companion reminding the audience of who is delivering the narrative at any point. 

Yusef’s dialogue is nimble and jocular, littered with irreverent references to Islam: “We do funerals quick. Can’t decide when Eid is, but funerals?” His characterisation is immaculate, his performance assured but not cocky. Dolly Aunty (his 77 year old great aunt) is messaging him constantly and Ahmed easily moves between personas as he mimics her speech. 

Yusuf is frustrated: he never felt as if he knew his father who remained mostly silent and as still as a statue during their time together. How, then, is he expected to know what to do with these possessions? It is only when discovering an old jacket that belonged to his father he finds two old cassette tapes in the pocket. Amusingly he struggles to work out how to put the tapes into a player before the scene changes and Ahmed becomes a youthful Mustafa (Yusef’s father) in the mid-nineties performing hip hop with a friend Omar (Jonny Khan).

The production then moves between timeframes and characters with just the two actors covering the identities between themselves: their body language or accent deftly illustrating the distinction in roles. Sadly, racial prejudice and targeted violence cross the divide. 

The dexterity and skill of this script lies in its demonstration of intersectionality, of generational differences, of commonality across divergence and how important true representation is. Humour is used well in order to facilitate frequent changes of energy, but above all, it is a reverence for family and the universality of music that lies at the heart of this piece.

Written by: Azan Ahmed

Directed by: Esme Allman

Lighting Design by: Rachel Sampley

Sound Design and Music Composed by: Holly Khan

Produced by: Two Magpies Productions in association with Bush Theatre

Statutes plays at the Bush Theatre until Saturday 9th November. Further information and booking are available here.