Naima Khan reviews Arinze Kene's strikingly evocative play about three teens on the verge of adulthood.
Arinze Kene has convinced me that teenagers are a lot more eloquent than I give them credit for. Granted, it's his words they're spouting and they are his teenage characters but the three young people in Little Baby Jesus are not just observant, expressive and frank, they're familiar too. Even though their stories are wildly different, they each cross paths briefly while making the decision to become an adult.
Kehinde, played by rising-star Fiston Barek, is a little obsessed with mixed-race girls and his grandmother has a hundred issues with race too. With no set and no props, he speaks in graphic, evocative detail of why white people have come to occupy the hardest part of her heart. His tone changes when he talks about his twin sister. He is in awe of her grace, her bravery and her athleticism. His admiration for her is a little unrealistic at first glance as few fourteen-year-olds have such high regard for their own peers, especially not the ones they're related to. But by the end of his unwavering monologue, he reveals exactly why he will always have such a sentimental view of his sister.
The eager and impressionable Kehinde is an example of Kene's clear, rhythmic writing. His character's laconic analysis of the people around him hints at the place they'll have in his future and the reasons he's telling us about them now. Then Kene outdoes himself with Joanne and Rugrat, the other two characters in this triptych of monologues. Each is full of confusion, hope and hilarity. The idiosyncrasies in their language and expressions are constantly amusing and a little beguiling. The stories they choose to relate and the points they want to focus on are so much a part of them that they're proof of Kene's ability to sculpt well defined, compelling characters made up of many layers. Joanne cannot believe a guy is able to guess her favourite ice-cream but that soon gets her into trouble. And though Rugrat feels safe when he's doing funny voices, he really wants to tell us about the frightening, unforgettable moment he had to step up his game.
What's most memorable about Little Baby Jesus is the imagery each monologue conjures. With nothing but three actors on stage we are taken to football pitches, playground fights, and painfully empty homes, dipping in and out of their lives as they take in it turn to tell their own stories. Through all their seemingly trivial predicaments, the characters make us laugh but also break our hearts. The writing is superb, the characters are hilarious and the stories are surprisingly broad but gratifyingly focused.
Little Baby Jesus runs at Oval House Theatre until 15th June.
Image by Robert Day
Click here for more Fringe Theatre in London
Click here for Theatre in London
Click here for Things to do in London
Add an event
Frieze Art Fair to launch new section for young galleries in 2012
Frieze have today announced details for the 2012 edition, their tenth art fair in London. Taking place...