Directed by Maggie Norris of Big House Theatre Company, Between the Lines focuses on an illegal radio station broadcasting in a Hackney council estate.
Hughbert Smith, his son Alpha and daughter Aisha, and neighbourhood friends run Blaze FM, a showcase for the grime scene and chatty interludes.
By 2005, in the wake of the transport bombing in the capital, secrets from the past threaten to disrupt matters, and later, a single act of violence rips the group apart.
A play punctuated by music, Between the Lines has an electric energy against projected tower blocks and handheld impromptu promotional moments.
The tiny Diorama stage becomes vast, fast, and a perfect backdrop to act out this story of Jamaicans in Britain. There are moments where the music takes centre stage – Jason’s shout out to the station, Hughbert’s dance to his favourite record.
Elsewhere, knife crime, censorship, the job market, the Windrush crisis, and the Tottenham riots all come into the story, the latter a little awkwardly shoehorned into the plot.
Between the Lines is a play for the rebels, but it is also about community. We know little about Jason, Stephen, Sparks Pritstick, and Mute, but know they feel a sense of safety and belonging in Hughbert’s flat.
This is a show that displays heart and strength, with strong performances throughout from the Big House’s young company. Anais Lowe’s Aisha and Jake Walden’s Stephen are particularly convincing.
Andrew Brown’s Hughbert is the glue that holds this group together, aided by the memory of his wife, Miss Gloria. Blaze FM creates opportunity, too, as we watch Alexander Lobo Moreno’s Jason grow from a nervous, awkward teen to assured rapper.
James Meteyard and Jammz have collaborated on the writing of Between the Lines, with design team Tina Torbey, Mic Pool (video), Alex Forey (lights), Lambdog1066 (costume), and Jack Baxter (sound).
Aliaano El-Ali, Nadean Pillay, Marcus Reiss and Daniel Holden round out this cast. Their issues are real, their interactions powerful. In their music they come together against the knocks on the door from outsiders.
Between the Lines is a fresh look at an important subculture of rebellion through music. You can watch it at the New Diorama Theatre until 1 Jun with tickets here.
****
Image credit: Ali Wright