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     *Thank God this Olivier nominated hit has returned following 2007's sell-out run. I have only just discovered him, but the buzz about Tarell Alvin Mccraney is justified.

     He has an exciting new dramatic voice and raises the bar for playwrights.  Born in Miami Florida and originally an actor, he is now an award winning playwright and deservedly so.

     The Brothers Size is one of five plays, which he wrote while at the Yale School of Drama. It is the second in the Brother/Sister trilogy of plays that are about a community of people living in San Pere, Louisiana.

     Tarrell seems born to be a playwright and has experience in using theatre as a means of social intervention. In The Brothers Size he tackles crime and poverty and the theme of brotherhood, at times reminiscent of Susan Lori Park's Topdog/Underdog.

Anthony Welsh & Tunji Kasim Oshoosi in a scenr from 'Brothers Size' (photo by David Lopes)

     Ogun Size owns an auto repair shop; his younger brother Oshoosi Size is fresh out of prison after a two-year stint, with love and a new life on his mind. His ex-cell mate Elegba promises to guarantee his freedom with a new car. But nothing is free, and the cost for Oshoosi is high as Elegba threatens to realise a nightmare and come between him and his brother.
 
     Not only is the standard of writing high, but the standard of acting is equally so.
 
     Daniel Francis (Ogun), Tunji Kasim (Oshoosi) and Anthony Welsh (Elegba) shine under Bijan Sheibani's direction. There are no props and minimal set design, so the actors are really put to the test, but they deliver. They allow Mccraney's script to shine. Like a male Debbie Tucker Green, his work is best seen and not simply read. Not least because of the spoken stage directions which add flair to the performance.

     His love of dance and The Alvin Ailey Dance company is clear in this piece of physical performance. With its use of music and movement, the play comes alive. It has a rhythm that allows a diverse audience to be engaged. At times witty, in just 90 minutes the atmospheric production evokes a range of emotions.

     Set in Louisiana, the play draws on elements, icons and stories from the Yoruban cosmology transported to America during the transatlantic slave trade, each of the characters are named after deities from Yoruba mythology. It also draws upon basic elements of Yoruban theatre including the lack of a raised performance space and the audience gathering around the action in a circle. The intimate performance is thus more stylised, allowing Tarell's wish for the play to be performed anywhere. Wherever it is performed, it is not to be missed!

     The Brothers Size co-produced with ATC is at the Young Vic from 8 October 2008- 8 November 2008. Tickets £17.50, under 26 £10 (subject to availability), Discounts £5 off & half-price mid-week matinees. For more information visit: http://www.youngvic.org/whats-on?action=details&id=2142 To hear from the writer and Director visit: www.uk.youtube.com/youngvictheatre

The UK Corner covers urban entertainment from a British perspective and is written by Fiona McKinson. She is a freelance journalist and creative writer based in London. Contact her at info@thetalentshow.co.uk.