A comedy, set in a barber’s shop, with a cast of exclusively black actors. For a certain generation (mine) that can only bring back memories of the groundbreaking Channel 4 sitcom “Desmond’s” that ran from 1989 to 1994. Things have moved on a bit since then, and the result is on now in the Courtyard Theatre at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Even better, it all began in Leeds.
It was this barbers on Chapeltown Road that inspired Inua Ellams to write the show:
“I visited a barber shop in Chapeltown called Stylistics. I met an amazing young guy who told me his story, and allowed me to transcribe it. He became the inspiration for one of the characters in the play.”
Not much to look at from the outside, but according to Ellams, one of the few places where men really talk to other men whilst experiencing the sort of personal interaction that goes with scissors, blades and clippers. Not just in Chapeltown, but around the world:
“I realised there was an intimacy of conversation that took place between black, Caribbean or African men in barber shops that wasn’t found in many other spaces. It was safe to be ourselves. There was a nuance to our character, to our personhood, which was lacking in many depictions of African, Caribbean or black men, and in writing this play I wanted to spotlight that.”
The show is performed in the round, beneath a metallic globe and with a selection of barbers’ advertising signs from Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa that are illuminated as the action moves around the continent.
It’s a very physical piece with exquisitely choreographed transitions as chairs, mirrors, cabinets and capes twirl and snap in the hands of the company to the beat of boom boxes and the rhythm of chants as the action moves on in time as well as place.
There’s a match on. No-one wants to miss a goal.
Events are tied together at a shop in London where paths from another continent cross, and where a young man comes to terms with his father’s legacy.
There’s a lot of humour – every culture has its own take on the “three guys walk into a bar …” joke – but also some powerful commentary on post-colonial politics and some raw emotion as the diverse characters explore aspects of migration and their own masculinity.
An exchange on the use of the N-word feels particularly pointed in a week when its use by a (white) British MP has made headlines, and there’s plenty of forthright discussion on the merits or otherwise of African leaders from Mugabe to Mandela.
It’s a play of contrasts, and of intimacy; the staging puts the audience on a level with the action at the cutting edge, literally looking over the shoulders of the cast and catching their own reflection in the mirror. Make sure to be in your seat in good time; the action is underway before the dialogue starts.
The story is delivered by a well-balanced ensemble cast with a pace and energy that almost overcomes a density of writing which, in places, threatens to overwhelm character with language. The flow of words is not easy going, especially in combination with unfamiliar accents which can make the production hard to follow. I’d have appreciated some Tommy-style surtitles at times.
It’s probably a production to sit back and appreciate as a whole rather than seek to analyse in real time.
This is the first time West Yorkshire Playhouse has been involved in a co-production with the National Theatre, and bodes well for the future as that relationship develops. The third partner in the show, Fuel Theatre, has a track record of innovative work with black community issues.
Barber Shop Chronicles runs in the Courtyard Theatre at the West Yorkshire Playhouse until 29 July
Production photos: Marc Brenner
Streetview photo: Google