Black Theatre Review: Estate Walls
Judging a book by its cover is never a good idea. For on the surface the debut production from writer, actor and director Arinze Kene seems like just another addition (and one could argue an unnecessary one) to the every growing genre of ‘Theatre of the Ghetto’. But what in fact elevates Estate Walls far above Adulthood on stage is the lyricism and beauty with which this talented young writer writes as he magnificently depicts a phenomenon that I have yet to see on stage – true poetic splendour living on a council estate.
20 year old Obi (Daniel Norford) lives on a Hackney estate and spends his days doing nothing with friends ‘pretty boy’ Myles (Ricci McLeod) and fight-now-talk-later Cain (Daniel Green). While Obi aspires for more, Myles and Cain – who has only recently been released from prison – have other ideas and see the estate as a resourceful way to make some cash, fast. Cain’s girlfriend Chelsea (Sophie Benjamin) also has ambitions but with her words falling on deaf ears she soon finds a companion in Obi thanks to their shared love of poetry. But as their friendship enters unchartered territory the dynamics begin to change with lifelong friends Cain and Obi no longer on the same team. Will Obi ever make it out or is he destined to live and die on the estate?
What is brilliant about Estate Walls is that it challenges the now over familiar stereotype of life on a council estate as Arinze Kene combines the naturalist setting with a lyrical, romantic language akin to the classics and that would sit, quite comfortably, among the works of modern day Shakespeare Tarell Alvin McCraney. The characters are prone to metaphoric soliloquies, commenting on the stars and the moon when describing their feelings or bursting into impromptu, inner city poetry slams. While at first this juxtaposition feels a little jarring I soon became engulfed by the sheer magnificence and imagery of the language and ended up being swept away on a delightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, linguistic journey. However at the same time the gifted Arinze Kene hasn’t lost that sense of authenticity and you believe that this could be one any one of London’s many inner city estates.
Director Che Walker has done a fantastic job bringing this literary gem to life and has drawn genuine, life like performances from his fabulous cast of five. My particular favourites have to be crackhead Reggie, played brilliantly by Huss Garbiya and whose unwashed, grimy exterior had the resulting effect of making my friend frenziedly scratch herself whenever he was on stage. Ricci McLeod was also a pleasure as estate clown Myles and he brought much of the play’s humour and comedy.
With two plays already under his belt, Estate Walls is the third offering from rising talent cum poetry in motion Arinze Kene and from what I’ve just witnessed we are sure to see many more.
Estate Walls
Written by Arinze Kene
Directed by Che Walker
With Starring: Daniel Norford, Daniel Green, Ricci McLeod, Sophie Benjamin and Huss Garbiya Currently playing at Oval Theatre until Saturday 9 October
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