A stylish and witty production transports the action to the Cotton Club in 1940s Harlem
The works of Shakespeare have long been subjected to myriad adaptations, some of them markedly more successful than others. Play On! is, delightfully, a peach of the genre, a stylish and witty transposing of Twelfth Night, for my money Shakespeare’s finest drama, to Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club in 1940s Harlem. In these perilously straitened times for the arts, what a thrill it is to see this buzzing production from Talawa, the UK’s premier black theatre company, take up residence in the capital after a notable national tour. Quality work of this kind too infrequently gets to move around the country, to the detriment of creatives and spectators alike.
Creator Sheldon Epps and writer Cheryl L West take their title from Twelfth Night’s unbeatable first line: “If music be the food of love, play on.” That’s precisely what young Viola (Tsemaye Bob-Egbe) wants to do, which is why she, an aspiring songwriter, has journeyed from Mississippi to Harlem to find her uncle Jester (Llewellyn Jamal), who works at the Cotton Club and might effect an introduction to her hero.
A witty move sees Shakespeare’s Count Orsino become Ellington, or The Duke (Earl Gregory, gloriously smooth of voice) for short. Songwriting being a fearsomely male preserve, Jester hastens his niece into a suit and Viola becomes Vyman, swiftly commissioned by the Duke to wow sultry singer Lady Liv (Koko Alexandra, wonderfully stroppy and with mischievous eyes) on his behalf using one of her own songs. A big tangle of unrequited love soon presents itself and the first half ends with a belter of a closing number, “Send Back My Love”, one of 20 pieces by Duke Ellington that are performed with panache by a notably mellifluous cast to the accompaniment of an onstage band.
And the dancing! Choreographer Kenrick “H20” Sandy, of the acclaimed Boy Blue company, whips up a storm of toe-tapping street dance for the slick ensemble; even the sombre Malvolio character Rev (Cameron Bernard Jones) gets inveigled into throwing some shapes when set up by the “lighter people”, headed by the excellent Tanya Edwards as the bright and frustrated dresser Miss Mary.
The plot goes slightly adrift in the second half, bogged down by a surfeit of song that hinders forward momentum, but Michael Buffong’s accomplished and atmospheric production continues to delight. Those who know Twelfth Night well will be startled, but perhaps ultimately content, with one particular happy ending, but no prior knowledge is required to enjoy a high-class show that sends us out into the dismal dark night feeling peppy and perked-up.
To 22 February, Lyric Hammersmith, London (020 8741 6850)