The tiny Jermyn Street Theatre, hidden in a basement just off Piccadilly Circus, remains a powerhouse for small-scale drama, and Little Brother is its newest production.
It’s an adaptation by Timberlake Wertenbaker for the stage, from the novel by Amets Arzallus Antis and Ibrahima Balde. It’s a tale of adventure, migration and family.
A deeply personal tale, directed by Stella Powell-Jones and designed by Natalie Johnson (set), Jahmiko Marshall (lighting), and Max Pappenheim (sound).
The reddish set with its vaguely Islamic hints has to pass for many locations on Balde’s epic journey from Guinea to Europe. His motivation was to find his brother, last heard of in Libya.
Little Brother, centred by a lovely performance from Blair Gyabaah, needs to be epic and yet not overpower the small studio space as Balde takes jobs, escapes from captivity, and welcomes the occasional friendly face.
This engrossing and occasionally moving story even captivated the late Pope Francis, and its twists and turns have highlighted the brutality of human trafficking as well as the humanity that does exist in the post unlikely places.
Running at just over 90 minutes, Little Brother is a quiet but potent piece, driven by numerous characters and short scenes.
A framing device, including poet and co-writer Arzallus, is underused, but Youness Bouzinab, who plays him, is excellent in other roles, including a brutal criminal toting a gun.
Whitney Kehinde portrays Balde’s mother and an exhausted refugee with skill and sensitivity, while Ivan Oyik (as the brother and others) and Mo Sesay’s characters keep the story on track.
A stage version of such a powerful memoir could have easily missed its mark. I felt that the major events of upheaval were shown with clarity, and the idea of travel – the scope can be seen within the programme – is economically conveyed.
At a time when political and media pressure seems hell-bent on reducing opportunity for economic migration or journeys to safer places, Little Brother is a tale of many, not the few.
4 stars.
Little Brother continues at Jermyn Street Theatre until 21 Jun with tickets here.
Image credit: Steve Gregson