Stage Review THE FISHERMEN

Valentine Olukoga and Michael Ajao in The Fishermen

Review ****

The Fishermen is a Nigerian family saga that is based on Chigozie Obioma’s popular debut novel of the same name and adapted for stage by Gbolahan Obisesan.

Risking the wrath of their father and the disapproval of their mother four brothers go river fishing; but the lives of these youngsters are about to be torn apart by an awful prophecy.

With a cast of just two it is the actions of Obembe and Ben that drives the story. Valentine Olukoga plays Obembe and Michael Ajao is his brother Ben. These two incredible performers often switch roles and between them play all other characters, returning to being centrepins Obembe and Ben periodically as the story slowly builds. 

There is a serious undercurrent throughout and often an unsettling tone conveyed; with the occasional fun and lightness that lifts the spirit of things a little. Dialogue is speedily delivered and sometimes can be hard to follow. The changing emotions are expressed mainly in movement. Much credit goes to Kitty Winter’s movement direction and choreography, especially for the fast and furious set pieces wonderfully executed by Olukoga and Ajao, who, incidentally, take on the many prisms of characterisation with such energy, vivaciousness and sensitivity.

The set is a number of floor-standing metal poles running in changing directions (like prison bars), those arranged vertically that run one way across a raised area are removeable. There’s nothing else to see. The players use these poles as constraints and boundaries and as markers for changing scenes, sometimes poles are grabbed and removed from their upright position and are used as props, nearing the end a few are chucked aside so Ben and Obembe appear to be not so confined.

The stage is very dark throughout, and though the play is 80 mins (with no interval) it’s a rather still vision to fix the eyes on for so long; however, the light rays landing on the metal poles creates atmosphere. The story building scenes that are less frantic, and there are a good few of these, manages to remain engaging. This is challenging drama and so makes for great theatre.

Review is by theatre critic, Debra Hall who attended press night at Derby Theatre, Derby on Wednesday 12 September 2018.