In 2015, four black women were turned away from London’s DSTRKT venue for being “too dark”. Nouveau Riche take this incident as their starting point, but Queens of Sheba is about so, so, so much more.
Peppered with a capella renditions of classic blues songs through the ages, an all black, female cast take to an empty to stage to fill it with a story. From misogynoir to black men, to white men, to mothers and fathers, to the pure comedy and tragedy of everyday life, Queens of Sheba is a hilarious, tear-jerking shout about being a black woman in today’s world.
No lighting changes, no backing music, no scene changes. The company needs no support or structure to rest their story on. From a weaker cast, this might be ambitious, but the sheer strength delivered from each actor carries and builds the narratives further. Though, at times they even lack narrative, Queens of Sheba carries itself triumphantly.
Terrible dates, sexist pickups, sexualising fathers, protective mothers, controlling bosses, patronising colleagues. All very run of the mill in a day in the life. Too run of the mill, perhaps. One might criticise Nouveau Riche for playing to a crowd and universalising their narrative, rather than particularising their message to a specific group. This might be true, but only if the narrative were itself run of the mill. It isn’t. In contrast with, say, pop music, the representation of black female narratives in contemporary British theatre is scarce beyond belief. So, even if the experiences recounted here were standard, day to day, that makes it only more important that they are made visible and recognized.
Though each member of the cast switch seamlessly between different characters of a variety of sexes and ethnicities (the narrative is somewhat restricted to black/white relations, at the exclusion of other ethnic groups), Veronica Beatrice Lewis has to be singled out as a highlight performance. She commands remarkable stage presence, and also the greatest vocal capacity, ranging comfortably between different pitches and timbres, accents and volumes. Towards the end of the play, as political message begins to obscure theatre somewhat, Lewis manages to produce volume without losing smooth delivery, which is a skill plenty of actors haven’t (or don’t) master.
Perhaps the greatest achievement in Queens of Sheba is its simple honesty. The decision to keep things simple, in terms of design, is not some Ivo van Hove influenced ‘Scandinavian’ ‘stripped back’ aesthetic; it’s a reflection of the force of the stories and their delivery. Though there was a sense of momentum and pointedness towards the end of the performance, the actors kept their sense of humour and vigour throughout (maybe because a sense of humour is what’s needed to keep going sometimes). This, again, is a powerful decision. In ‘political’ shows, it is very tempting to end with a big rallying cry, to unite the masses, and lead us all to a better future. Nouveau Riche didn’t need to do that, instead choosing to link arms and celebrate, and be thankful for sisterhood.
Review by Thomas Froy
Turned away from a nightclub for being “too black”, four women take to the stage with their own explosive true stories; the music and the misogyny, the dancing and the drinking, the women and the (white) men. Loosely based on the DSRKT nightspot incident of 2015, Queens of Sheba tells the hilarious, moving and uplifting stories of four passionate Black Women battling everyday misogynoir – where sexism meets racism. Written by Jessica L. Hagan and devised by the company.
Nouveau Riché is an exciting, diverse, multi-award winning, creative movement. Following sell out runs at Edinburgh Fringe and New Diorama, Nouveau Riché, winners of The Untapped Award 2018 and an Edinburgh Stage Award, are reviving Queens of Sheba for VAULT Festival 2019.
Cast
Jacoba Williams –Jacoba
Kokoma Kwaku- Koko
Rachel Clarke – Rachel
Veronica Beatrice Lewis – Veronica
Creative Team
Writer – Jessica L. Hagan
Adapted by Ryan Calais Cameron
Director – Jessica Kaliisa
Movement Director – Yassmin V. Foster
Production Manager – Shavani Cameron
30th January to 3rd February 2019
Duration 55 Minutes
https://www.wearevault.org/
