Barbershop Chronicles

Congratulations to the NT on their exciting production of this intricate play. With the Dorfman in my favourite configuration (audience on four sides of the stage), this fast-moving show can switch like lightning between barbershops in Lagos, Accra, Kampala,  Johannesburg, Harare and Peckham. Clever use of a suspended globe and advertising signs scattered around the set mean that the audience never becomes disorientated when the show jumps from country to country.

Articles in the programme focus on the mental health of young black males but the play seems to be about much more than that. It strikes a lovely balance between light-hearted crosstalk and some passionate and serious discussion of a multitude of topics.

The structure is complex and you have to stay alert to catch the links between the strands and see how the whole relates to the parts but it works brilliantly. I loved it.

Tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.