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THE UK REPORT (Theater Review): Muhammad Ali and Me
*When I read the marketing material for this play I knew it had to be seen. My suspicions were right.
Writer and producer Mojisola Adebayo promised a physical storytelling performance with poetry, song, music, movement, magic and integrated British Sign Language.
If there was a way to bring this concept to life, this is how it should be done.
Amazingly the play delivers as it charts the life of a five-year-old mixed raced girl growing up in care in seventies London, and her fantasy relationship with the empowering and iconic boxer Muhammad Ali, with whom her life runs parallel, as she fights her own opponents.
From the start the Fighter captivated me, intrigued, I felt the need to meet the writer who had created such an innovative piece of theatre not realising that she was right before me in the boxing ring. Referee Jackie Beckford is more than just a sign language interpreter, as a dancer, she has an integral role in the production. What is key about her role is that it adds value for the audience hearing impaired or not.
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Jackie Beckford and Mojisola Adebayo in 'Muhammad Ali And Me'
Charlie Folorunsho as the Corner Man is perhaps most special as he plays at least eight characters. As a character actor he is fabulous. His initial presentation of the Nigerian father is so realistic that you are taken aback when he so easily slips into the role of the cockney foster mum. With the subtlest of prop or costume change, he adopts a totally new persona. There is humour when he becomes a wrestler, but we can only hate him as the abusive Jimmy.
With a production "Dedicated to Muhammed Ali, in memory of Emmett Till and for a mum who despite everything, would not leave without us", and as an artist who is inspired by Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, Mojisola achieves her a desire to edu-tain and tackle social change.
She becomes puppet master to the audience's emotions making them laugh and interact as well as pulling at the heartstrings. Exploring issues of identity, you empathise with the racial and sexual politics, which unfold. Despite the levels of fantasy, the characters are vivid and have resonance. History is enlivened with the use of verbatim text, TV footage and contextualised with recordings of President Elect Obama. Mojisola made reference to critics in the audience but she need not fear as her play is a refreshing knock out.
Oval House Theatre, London
11-29 November 2008
Tuesday - Saturday at 7.45pm
Matinee Saturday 29 November 3pm
Tickets £12/£6 concessions
Bookings 020 7582 7680
www.ovalhouse.com
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.
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