A tangled web of both historical and fictional ghost stories where the talented young ensemble is a major highlight.Rating
Good!
Theatre is at its best when it places itself well. Three Ghosts of Silvertown, a new and ambitious play by James Kenworth, is set in the titular East London district of Silvertown, cleverly fusing fiction with the area’s real history. The piece is performed at the Tate Institute, which has been through a number of iterations, and is currently being transformed into a creative and cultural centre for the Silvertown community. Both the venue and the story sharing the same location effectively situate us, and I feel very grounded.
Even though it feels gloriously local, Kenworth is not afraid to think outside the box, and the story shows three ghosts of working-class people meeting in the afterlife. Each brings their individual loves, losses, and desires, but together they also act out some action from the closer-to-reality story of Eleanor Marx and the Silvertown strikes. Joining them is a troupe of between ten and fifteen young actors, who form a chorus that both leads the atmosphere and allows for some extra detail in moments where they step into small roles. An essence of activism and hope for better permeates throughout, led by the ensemble’s vigour.
Lamentably for a skilled and enthusiastic cast, the ambition falls short in the material that they were given. The narrative that Kenworth is trying to tangle together feels disjointed and confusing, with a few too many moving parts. The different elements move awkwardly at unequal paces, and I am not always sure what or who I should be enticed or stirred by. And while the inclusion of lots of music is a really nice touch, it unfortunately leads to a large portion of the dialogue being inaudible.
The main cast are strong, giving impassioned and energetic performances. They keep some sense of much-needed flow to a perplexing sequence of events, supported by the skilful direction of Jade Ward McFarlane. Katie Smale as Lizzie, in particular, manages to stir my soul with some powerful delivery. However, other members of the cast are victims of some clunky accent choices.
Whilst the ideas behind Three Ghosts of Silvertown seem sound, the separate elements haven’t come together to make a whole. Additionally, there is no mention of the chorus in the programme notes, something that is wholly unforgivable in my eyes. In front of me they give their absolute all, but I didn’t even know they were going to be there until they suddenly appeared. Each and every accolade I have to offer goes to these enthusiastic young artists, and they alone convinced me to give this play a third star.
Written by James Kenworth
Directed by Jade Ward McFarlane
Three Ghosts of Silvertown plays at the Tate Institute until Sunday 30 August.
