As is written boldly on its walls, the Bush Theatre strives to be “at the forefront of new writing, developing the very best new talent and championing unheard voices”. Naturally, when working with new writers there is always going to be a risk and it doesn’t necessarily mean the talent themselves do not have the potential to be “the very best” but, judged on …blackbird hour, the first play by babirye bukilwa, the Bush has not yet developed it to an adequate level of professional theatre even though it’s dressed up with decent production values.
…blackbird hour (lowercase spelling deliberate) is painful to watch – not because of the heavy subject matter but because it is entirely monotonous in tone and rendition. The central character Eshe (Evlyne Oyedokun) spends the better part of 45 minutes emoting and yet nothing dramatic ever happens – until the end of Act One which is as predictable as the first ideas of some work experience students in the writers’ room of EastEnders.
bukilwa’s play (performed as a single act but written as three) wallows in misery and yet manages to create no sympathy for any of its characters despite indicating with about as much subtlety as Old Yeller that we should feel exactly that. Of course, the prospect of a traumatised, depressed and “difficult” character still being very much loved and indeed at the apex of a triangle between two competing suitors, Ella (Olivia Nakintu) and Michael (Ivan Oyik) has interesting dramatic potential. But sadly bukilwa doesn’t locate it in this play nor does director malakai sargeant in this production.
The playwright goes out of their way (before even a word of dialogue or stage directions are written) to tell us what this play is not: “Note: this is not a play about inverted comma mental health inverted comma nor is it an Angry Black Women issue play.” Perhaps bukilwa has good reasons not to trust their audience, director, or cast; but they also fail to show us what this work – I hesitate to call it a ‘play’ – is about. Basically nothing happens in it such that even with a run time of about 75 minutes, it feels like an eternity. A character sketch peppered with poetry – even if a few lines of it are resonant or intriguing – is not a play.
Whilst bukilwa asserts this is not an “issue” play, the work has rather a lot in common (but not as good) as a typical 19th-century problem play and it comes off a bit like the unedited and grimmest b-roll from an afterschool public service special peppered with clips from a fantastical and tacked-on love story.
In its last five minutes or so, this production plays with some stylised acting choices that vary from the single tone of the rest of it. In these moments I saw a kernel of theatrical potential – although not yet developed as a coherent artistic choice. It shows that the cast are capable of variety (especially Olivia Nakintu) but the work and production are tedious. I’m sorry to say that …blackbird hour is neither “visceral” nor “moving” as its press blurb claims. Unfortunately, it’s a staged essay/sketch entirely devoid of dramatic achievement. The team at the Bush (and other new writing theatres) working with bukilwa and other emerging talent owe it to the talent they’re developing to be more demanding about what good looks like on the London stage. This production reeks of over-indulgence by its producers, commissioners and, unfortunately, its writer too.
Review by Mary Beer
“This love word. Do people just use it when they feel sorry?”
Eshe hasn’t left the flat.
Loved-ones keep reaching out: blowing up her phone and showing up at her front door. They say they’re going to “save” her. She’s not saying anything back.
Until, in the dark early hours, surrounded by half-eaten food, dirty washing, and a damn good playlist, she focuses on the letter in front of her.
Cast – Danielle Kassaraté, Evlyn Oyedokun, Ivan Oyik and Olivia Nakintu
Written by babirye bukilwa
Directed by malakaï sargeant
Design by Khadija Raja
Lighting Design by Jahmiko Marshall
…blackbird hour
Bush Theatre
30 January to 1 March 2025
