The-Fellowship (2022)
L-R: YASMIN MWANZA CHERRELLE SKEETE
Photo Credit: Robert Day
When I attended the press night at the Hampstead Theatre on 27 June, I was slightly surprised when the theatre’s producer Greg Ripley-Duggan (Hampstead Theatre’s Executive Producer) took to the stage to announce that one of the lead roles (Dawn) was to be played by Cherelle Skeete, after the original actor Lucy Vandi had suffered an indisposition on the last day of a four-week rehearsal. Pretty unfortunate stuff, if you ask me. We were told that the actress has spent a week to rehearse, and would be – at times – using a script. That’s fine with me, and it didn’t detract from the action on stage. In fact, I was in awe of Cherelle Skeete’s ability to perform effortlessly and with conviction; I almost forgot a script was placed on a prop at times and kudos for filling in the shoes at such short notice.
Firstly, the set for this is what captured my attention. There’s all the action set in a small round stage which cleverly mimics the Amazon Dot device, complete with light up blue lights when “Alexa” the online virtual assistant is called – primarily to play music. A bit of a miss on the other elements to what the “Ask Alexa” feature on the digital device provides, such as creating shopping lists and that could have been integrated into the script effortlessly if explored. A missed opportunity as it could have landed a few laughs, and drawn moreso on the mother-son bond which felt like it was glossed over.
The plot line begins and we’re introduced to two sisters who are daughters of the Windrush generation: Dawn and Marcia. Both of them grew up in south London in the height of the riots and were robust activists to overthrow the injustices faced by minorities. Dawn cares for their mother, and we learn one son has died and the other she feels has drifted away from her. Meanwhile. Marcia is the high-flying lawyer whose having an affair with a politician – a really deadly combination which could prove to make her future as a professional in tatters. The storyline is quite complex and although there is a dramatic scene in the second act, it fails to land with conviction.
The writer, Roy Williams, has written a culturally relevant play which feels like it is fresh, modern and set in the 2020s. The language, references to popular culture – Hamilton gets namechecked, as does Meghan Markle and also Black Lives Matter- make it so current as far as references go. The clever parts are where characters are given monologues that impart conviction. It is when the characters are fully fleshed out, displaying the humanity and ordinariness of their plight/struggles, that this piece soars. Unfortunately there aren’t too many of those moments. There are numerous lines that were delivered with perfect timing, showing the comedy in its dark form – led by Tony (Trevor Laid). Often these were gags that added nothing new or with greater nuance of the communities, sadly.
Overall, this is a captivating play with performances that will make you empathise with the characters albeit on a skin deep surface level. It could have been slimlined by twenty minutes, but the cast gave it their best despite the material issues.
2.5/5
Playing at the Hampstead Theatre until 23 July
HampsteadTheatre.com