A dynamic, time-slipping musical that manifests the power of inclusion and collaboration, championing difference and imagining a better world.Rating
Today’s news will undoubtedly feature some terrifying conduct by President Trump’s deranged US administration that will impact on global majority individuals – police shootings, unwarranted detentions and manipulation of the legal system. But here in the UK we were battling with racism way back in the 1950s when the Windrush arrived and “No dogs, no Blacks, no Irish” was pinned on many a boarding house door. The Wrong They Knew, devised and performed by Chickenshed and its young company, interrogates this British history in a dynamic, informative production that uses music, dance and verbatim accounts to draw the worlds of past and present together. Told by a huge and diverse cast, it’s an urgent reminder that modern youth can and will resist bigotry and injustice, championing difference.
At its centre is the story of Theo (played sensitively by Shiloh Maersk), a Black man crippled by police brutality before being wrongly accused of assaulting a white girl, and then imprisoned. We learn of the historical context that enables such injustice to happen through interactions across his family and community, including encounters emulating Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts, where the archaic, prejudiced language is at times shocking. There are hints of To Kill a Mockingbird in trial scenes and Absolute Beginners in a local resolution to stage a carnival to bring cultures together through music and dance.
An impressive sense of time-slippage fuses past and present, created by the stars of the show, which are the songs composed by Phil Haines, Cara McInanny and their team. There’s a fabulous mix of calypso, rock and roll and modern styles that unites eras and cultures, while bringing energy and momentum to the storytelling. They relate a potted history of the struggle against racism, telling of ‘routine’ yet violent police checks, the evolution of legal aid, dissemination of misinformation in the press, and ultimately calling out cover-ups. Meanwhile, verbatim accounts from history give presence to lived experience of prejudice, related over projections of images from the past and drawings, and giving depth.
An ensemble including 200 young performers of differing abilities shares the stage with the professionals and at times it’s visually busy, requiring the audience to actively seek out the body that goes with the voice speaking. You may query what this casting brings to the story, and if it’s just a gimmick, but this is the core of Chickenshed. It’s a visualisation of collaboration, of diversity and acceptance, showcasing those in the tale considered expendable by fascists, like the Black community and disabled Boyd Slowley (Reuben Hutchinson). Here they are reframed as creative, valuable individuals, not to be discounted. There’s additionally some real talent in the lead roles, from the teeny but supremely assured Louie Lyons as Romy, to veteran Jonny Morton as the composed civil rights lawyer, Isaac, to the exceptional McInanny who gives a powerful, moving performance as Iris, with a voice to die for.
With director Bethany Hamlin and her assistant Michael Bossisse’s work cut out for them in limited space, the choreography too is impressive. Presenting a range of dance styles from jive to abstract movement, the company works organically and collectively, depicting ideas of obstruction and abuse, but also co-operation and the joy that comes with working together for a greater good.
The Wrong They Knew pulls no punches, so don’t go expecting just to see a nice cheery show with a bit of song and dance. At times chilling, it’s an important reminder that society still has dangerous elements at large. But it ends with the hope that through collaboration and resolve we can make the world a better place.
Director: Bethany Hamlin
Assistant Director: Michael Bossisse
Music: Phil Haines & Cara McInanny
Lyrics: Jimmy Adamou, Alex Brennan, Cara McInanny, Paul Morrall & Sebastian Ross
Core Creative Team: Michael Bossisse, Phil Haines, Bethany Hamlin, Cara McInanny, Paul Morrall, Jonny Morton & Sebastian Ross
Creative Directors: Jimmy Adamou, Lucy-Mae Beacock, Michael Bossisse, Courtney Dayes, Georgie Jacobs, Demar Lambert, Shiloh Maersk, Cara McInanny, Gemilla Shamruk & Robin Shillinglaw
Script: Paul Morrall & Sebastian Ross
Set & Lighting Design: Andrew Caddies
Sound Design: Phil Haines
Animation Design: Davies Ohemeng
Costume Design: Emma Gale
Project Manager & Vocal Delivery: Fiona Carey
The Wrong They Knew plays at Chickenshed until Saturday 28 March
