Telling the almost unbelievable true story of racism and injustice, The Scottsboro Boys returns to London at the Garrick Theatre after a sell out run to outstanding reviews at the Young Vic Theatre. The Scottsboro Boys is performed as one act running for an hour and 45 minutes without an interval. The show takes on the famous Scottsboro Boys case of the 1930's, in which a group of African American teenagers were wrongly accused of raping two white women on a freight train to Memphis, Tennessee. Their attempts to prove their innocence and their treatment by the US justice system, which provoked a national outrage, sparked the American Civil Rights movement. But what sets this show apart from other musicals is the way in which its told. In a controversial choice the show is performed as a Minstrel Show. For those who are not aware of what a Minstrel Show is, it was a type of performance in the 1800’s in which white actors would wear black face and portray African Americans in a stereotypical and caricature way. Whilst the Scottsboro Boys retains the style of a Minstrel show, they flip the convention around by having an all African American cast with only one white actor on stage. The remainder of the cast play the nine boys, white men, white women and white lawyers in a cliché way. The stereotypical portrayal of African Americans sometimes comes through during performances from the nine actors playing the accused boys, and the black face makes an appearance at one point. The style of the show can be seen as extremely shocking and offensive, but it uses this style in an effective way to enhance the story telling. Having minimalistic set designs are very effective in focusing the audience's attention on the story of injustice rather than diverting it with extravagant sets, and was certainly a very good choice for this show. The set is created mainly using metal chairs which are used to create a freight train carriage, a prison cell and a bus, among other things. It's very cleverly done. John Kander and Fred Ebb's score (the same people behind Chicago and Cabaret) is magnificent, blending together styles of vaudeville, gospel and jazz. Considering the dark topic of the show, the music is generally quite bright, with a couple of ballads mixed in. Brendan Victor Dixon emotional portrayal of Haywood Patterson will stay in your mind for days. Other stand out performances include Forrest McClendon and Colman Domingo who take multiple roles as lawmen, minstrel clowns and even a Jewish lawyer from New York City. Dawn Hope portrays a very present figure that is silent throughout the show, watching the injustice, until the end of the show when she speaks up for her rights on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. This woman is Rosa Parks. Overall this is a stunning cast and a must see show! __________________________________________________________________ Rating: ★★★★★ Comment: An emotional journey. One of the most inventive shows I've ever seen. Have you seen a production of The Scottsboro Boys? Do you agree or disagree with any of the points I have made? If so, I'd love to here from you so send me a message and let me know which production you saw! Young Vic Trailer: Garrick Trailer: | |
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Hello there, friend!Welcome to my blog. I tend ramble on a bit about theatre, books and Disney. Archives
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