Curve @ Home
17th February 2021
‘What about tears when I’m happy?
What about wings when I fall?’
I’ll preface this review with a
brief apology for the lack of content we’ve provided over the past year. This
is, of course, due to ‘you-know-what’, and like much of the rest of the world
we’ve been housebound with little else but our now one-year-old cat (Monty) and
reminiscences of theatre trips past to keep us company over these 11 months of
stasis. Honestly, we’ve been pretty lucky in the grand scheme of things. We’re
healthy, we still have jobs, we were blessed with an intimate wedding last
October, and, thanks to the tireless efforts and communal spirit of many arts
producers, we’ve been able to experience new ways of engaging with theatre,
watching countless productions from the safety of our own sofa. A few
highlights for us include Jane Eyre, Amadeus, This House, Streetcar and
Death of England: Delroy from the
National Theatre At Home, Mood Music
from The Old Vic and Ian Rickson’s production of Uncle Vanya which was shown on the BBC over Christmas. This new
theatrical frontier, while generated by necessity, has been an exciting and
wonderfully accessible development in spite of the widespread hardship that
those working in the arts have faced. I hope the dedication, innovation and
talent of all involved can persuade authorities that the performing arts are an
industry in need of, and very much worthy of, significant support.
Curve have been at the forefront of
this campaign, releasing archive performance footage, engaging in outreach
programmes and creating thrilling new productions that embrace our current way
of living. Following on from the immensely successful Sunset Boulevard in Concert, Curve have reunited the company of
2019’s The Color Purple (a
co-production with Birmingham Hippodrome) to once again bring a much needed
dose of musical enrichment to theatre lovers worldwide.
While Sunset’s cinematic quality and themes of artistic growth and
redundancy transitioned seamlessly to
the screen, The Color Purple instead
benefits from the intimacy afforded by the camerawork of Crosscut Media. We
weave in and out of a circular stage that seems invariably vast, claustrophobic,
homely and ethereal. The use of a revolve complements Mark Smith’s rhythmic
choreography, and coupled with Ben Cracknell’s evocative lighting, helps us
navigate the frequent scene changes and passages of time throughout the
narrative. This set-up also demonstrates the sometimes caged nature of Celie’s
existence. We are presented with a ground-eye view of one woman’s, at once,
constricted, mundane, and yet extraordinary universe. Similarly, the tight
camera angles complement Tinuke Craig’s frantic direction during ‘Mister Song’.
The multimedia element of the piece succeeds in augmenting the dizzying blur of
sinister but sympathetic soliloquising. This novel vantage gives what was
originally an enjoyable and touching production an extra edge that makes for
compelling viewing.
Russell, Willis and Bray’s bluesy
score sounds even better than I remembered, with a glorious mix of upbeat jazz,
soul and funk (‘Push Da Button’; ‘Hell No!’; ‘Any Little Thing’) and poignant,
uplifting ballads (‘What About Love?’; ‘I’m Here’; ‘The Color Purple’). It’s a
musical score that has really grown on me and I love the bombastic advances
into operatic storytelling. As a musical drama it hits all the right buttons
(excuse the pun) in using melody and lyric to drive the narrative while
enhancing our empathetic understanding of what is presented.
Craig has reunited the majority of
her 2019 cast and their collective experience is telling in the sense of
community emanating from the screen. Simon-Anthony Rhoden retains a likeable
charm as Celie’s step-son, Harpo, and his double act with Karen Mavundukure’s forthright
Sofia is highly enjoyable. A new addition to the cast sees Carly Mercedes Dyer
(a powerhouse in Curve’s 2019 production of West
Side Story) take over the role of the ubiquitous Shug Avery. While being
able to belt out the tunes with ease, Dyer brings a fragility and occasional
waspishness to Shug, rounding the character out in all her charismatic
flightiness. The company is led by T’Shan Williams’ unfaltering performance as
Celie, radiating warmth, joy and beauty. Her Celie is utterly loveable and my
heart wept with delight when she finally realises her worth with a triumphant
‘I’m thankful for loving who I really am […] Yes, I’m beautiful and I’m here’.
During the closing moments of the show the emotion flooding from the stage is overwhelming. The cast weep, for the uplifting denouement, for the powerful message of the story, but also, I imagine, for what this production represents in our current climate. The Color Purple imparts such a strong sense of hope that I deny anyone not to be moved by the final bars and dimming of the lights. Acts of community and acts of creation such as this, amid a time of physical and political separation, isolation and, sadly, destruction on a near universal level, serve to remind us of the importance of supporting each other. In coming together we can remember those times we once had, and those we will have once more.
Support the arts, they are the
greatest keepers of our lives.
The
Color Purple is streaming until 7th March 2021.
For more information please visit https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/the-color-purple-at-home/
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| The Color Purple - at Home. Photography by Pamela Raith |
