Having never lived in New York, I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the narrative arc in this play, although there’s no reason why Gerry Brinsler (an engaging Jasper Britton), who likes his showtunes from the Great American Songbook, wouldn’t be living in the same apartment block as Mr. Bugz (Richard Pepple), a disc jockey who specialises in hip-hop. Bugz and his good friend Lamont (Sule Rimi), also in the hip-hop industry, has a good rapport – well, a rapport – with Gerry, despite their many differences. It’s a remarkable achievement in some ways, given that some people in the United States in the same family don’t speak to one another just because of divergent political ideologues.
For all the talk of shootings and drug dealing in hip-hop songs, it is perhaps surprising that there isn’t a gun in sight throughout the entire show. Some of the dialogue is somewhat contrived, with sudden diversions into racism and misogyny. Nancy (Emma Kingston), whom Gerry introduces to Bugz as “one of my callers” – meaning someone who works in telemarketing – is in adoration of Lamont, though her observations about the kind of vocabulary used in hip-hop music are systematically demolished by Lamont. In summary, without giving too much away, money talks.
Then there’s Val Kano (Tiffany Gray), who points out she is Puerto Rican with the regularity of a politician vying for re-election with a campaign slogan they’ve been advised to repeat at every viable opportunity. A rap battle between Nancy and Val ensues – let’s just say, sticking with political analogies, that the reason why ‘none of the above’ isn’t on the ballot paper is because ‘none of the above’ would have won. In the end, however, whether you enjoy hip-hop or, like Gerry, you’re inclined to stick your fingers in your ears until the music stops, a lot of ground is covered in this play. There’s a fair bit of name-dropping too – everyone from Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 somewhere over the Pacific Ocean during an attempt to be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe in an aircraft, Queen Elizabeth II (admired by Gerry for working right up until the end), and Bob Ross (who I still don’t know anything about). I shan’t even attempt to list all the hip-hoppers who were named.
I didn’t know, either, about the Five-Percent Nation, whom Lamont belongs to, a nationalist movement that believes eighty-five per cent of people “lack knowledge of self”, ten per cent have it but are not interested in enlightening anyone else, leaving five per cent who work to help those who apparently live in ignorance. The set is on two levels, the lower being the porch to the apartment block and the upper being predominantly Gerry’s front room. The split staging allows for rapid scene changes, and works best at the start of the second half when the action switches back and forth between separate but simultaneous conversations upstairs and downstairs. A long(ish) scene in Gerry’s apartment started to create a distancing effect, at least from my vantage point in the stalls.
Attempts at audience involvement (as panto season is very nearly upon us (oh yes it is), it’s worth pointing out this is not the same as audience participation) had mixed results on press night. The play’s title appears to come from Gerry and Lamont’s worldviews – diametrically opposed as they are, it is little wonder they find agreement of sorts by the curtain call. Gerry’s views on what constitutes a good Broadway show are strong and undiluted, as are Lamont’s views on what hip-hop should be about. A timely play given that America is arguably more divided now than it has been in at least a generation, this production paints an intriguing portrait of what could be if people who disagree kept lines of communication open.
Review by Chris Omaweng
Subcultures and generations collide in this New York comedy.
On their stoop in Queens, New York, Lamont, a legendary emcee and Mr. Bugz, a hall-of-fame DJ, have been winding up Gerry, a musical lover, for as long as they can remember.
But when two young women, Nancy and Val, put their rap battling skills to the test, they are forced to confront their convictions on race, sexuality and music. Struggling with secrets and their fears for the future, they realise they have more in common than they thought.
As this critically acclaimed show makes its European premiere, it asks – how far would you go to speak your truth?
CAST
Gerry Brinsler – Jasper Britton
Val Kano – Tiffany Gray
Nancy Reinstein – Emma Kingston
Mr. Bugz – Richard Pepple
Lamont Born Cipher – Sule Rimi
CREATIVES
Playwright – Dan McCabe
Director – Amit Sharma
Set Designer – Tom Piper
Lighting Designer – Oliver Fenwick
Sound Designer – Tony Gayle
Costume Designer – Ruth Badila
Casting Director – Isabella Odoffin
THE PURISTS
Kiln Theatre, 269 Kilburn High Road, London NW6 7JR
14 November to 21 December 2024
