Now on at the Only Connect Theatre
“Two schoolboy friends divided by murder, Any Which Way is a life changing play about knife crime and its consequences.”
Only Connect Theatre: 32 Cubitt Street (from King’s Cross it’s a five minute walk down Kings Cross Road, turn right into Fredrick St then left into Cubitt Street).
3-29 November evenings and matinees including schools performances.
Coleridge coined the phrase the “willing suspension of disbelief”. Theatre can require this of us in the most immediate way whereas film and TV can never do it quite so well. For this play we have a story that takes us from harsh reality to ghostly apparitions and all inches from our faces. Be prepared – this is mini-promenade theatre not telly or film. Allow yourself to feel what the piece asks of you and from the moment you enter you’ll feel the hairs rising on the back of your neck. Four youths stare at you from the steps and another four from the balcony. They are pointing and sniggering at you. You can almost smell the rubbish in the chamberlain bin and look, there’s another bloody shopping trolley overturned in the road. Normally you’d walk quickly by all this, right now you are stuck and must watch the story unfold. (Pictured left: Kareem Dauda as Stefan, Alicya Eyo as Sarah)
If you are an adult you know this is a world you are not part of. But do you know just how deep it goes? We berate these kids as silly, irresponsible – they don’t take life seriously do they? They don’t understand the consequences of their actions do they? But what is the social contract in a London that is grey for these kids. Grey sky, grey existence, grey moral framework. One character’s mum poignantly wants the best for her son but recognises that London’s greyness is inside of him.
For these kids the life they define burns through the greyness and friendship is all, even beyond the grave. Best mates want each other to live their lives to the full: “You need to go forward and do that for me, innit.”
The women in the story seem to hold many keys yet all they can do is watch, goad, pull back, nurture, teach, struggle, challenge and finally mourn.
You know this story; you’ve seen fictional accounts and read about the real life consequences taking place horrifyingly regularly. But this isn’t about being told, this is about being there – accept the invitation and walk in these kids’ shoes for a moment.
It would be inappropriate to single any performances out. With each actor so fully committed to their roles the pace in all its light and shade – and yes there are many comedic moments – kept the audience totally absorbed from the first.
Kate Waters fight sequences will shock you, Mic Pool’s use of video will surround you taking you right into the action, the deftly handled lighting will keep your attention pinned exactly where it needs to be. (Pictured right: Kareem Dauda as Stefan, Junior Miller as Chorus, Phillip Clarke as Akin, Andrew Brown as Tyrone)
Go and see this and leave your expectations at the door. You won’t be sitting down, be ready to move quickly to get to the action. You are not just the audience; you are there – just like walking through an estate or passing a group of kids on the street. We see it – that is we view it – but somehow it doesn’t fit with us. We leave with a question – how can we impact their world when all we seem able to do is denigrate it?
Running time: just under an hour
Kings Cross Environment 