A vital story that tells of a life of uncertainty and hardship. Rating
Good
Battling constant change as a young person, and moving from one home to another, a nameless protagonist clings onto her belongings within a single box full of things that may seem ragged, unwanted and insignificant to others. However, they are her memories, the constant in her life and items that she is almost unwilling to let go, even as she faces the many hardships and uncertainties in life.
The script of Boxes by writer and performer Shona Bukola Babayemi is poetic and delivered almost in a rap-like rhythm. It showcases a lost young woman as she finds out that she doesn’t have a home to return to and must rely on the kindness of others. Even when she has wet herself, she still doesn’t want to ask to use the washing machine to clean her clothes and instead turns to handwashing and drying her trousers on the radiator instead: this brief moment of vulnerability is coupled with a sense of quiet strength and resilience.
As her journey continues, she begins to find ways to navigate the streets, making use of whatever shelter she can, like the library and the night bus, and creates a sense of mutual understanding with those that she encounters along the way. None of her initial abodes could be considered ideal shelters, but are safer and warmer than the streets. Based on the encounters she has with a woman in the library and the bus driver that lets her stay despite not having the money to pay, the narrative subtly implies that society as a whole shows a quiet acknowledgement of her situation. However, it’s also implied that there is an invisible wall that separates her from the others, and the script does a wonderful job of demonstrating that these interactions are fleeting, preventing the establishment of any meaningful connections.
The audience is shown glimpses of the woman’s journey as she experiences and begin to overcome her challenges. While the box itself holds sentimental values, perhaps of a happier and easier time, it is also a shackle that binds her to the past and a constant reminder of who she used to be, preventing her from living her life as she is now.
Although a worthwhile journey, the script could be given more life by injecting a bigger range of emotions. In particular, even while acknowledging the character isn’t exactly in a perfect place emotionally a heightened sense of elation and joy at the start would create a bigger impact and contrast when she then suddenly discovers she has become homeless. While it could be interpreted that she has grown numb to endless disruptions through her long exposure to instability, it is clear that many of the events she experiences would be maddening to anybody and it would be good to see a clearer display of frustration as these arise.
Boxes conveys an exceptionally important message and highlights the fact that although happy memories can get us through some of our darkest moments, they can also act as a shackle that prevents us from moving on. A promising piece, this play would benefit from refinement to integrate clearer and more explicit changes within the character’s psyche and emotions as part of the storytelling.
Writer: Shona Bukola Babayemi
This show has completed its current run.
