Stage Review REVEALED

Jayden Hanley (Luther)
Revealed at B2 The Belgrade Theatre
Photograph by Nicola Young

'This is an honest, passionate and gritty play'

⭐⭐⭐⭐

In the summer of 2011 cities in England saw a spate of copycat riots happening. Revealed is therefore a contemporary play and the riots are a theme; it is set inside a Caribbean restaurant in Birmingham with violence and unrest occuring in the street(s). 

The tone of instability outside is mirrored inside when tensions rise and boil over between three black men of one family. The elder: son of Jamaican parents, Sidney ;  the younger: seventeen year old, Luther; and the confronting, Malcolm who is appalled by what is going on around him and behaves bitterly toward his father and his son.

A little disjointed and a little slow to start, with sound design aspects drowning out the dialogue in the Belgrade’s B2 space initially, however, as each of the character’s backstories and insecurities are slowly 'revealed' a gaining of momentum is enabled.

Daniel J Carver (Malcolm), Everai A Walsh (Sydney) Jayden Hanley (Luther)

Revealed at B2 The Belgrade Theatre

Photograph by Nicola Young

Each character, very much, an example of how life circumstance has negatively impacted. Sidney's responses are those of a guilt driven man who has no fervour for the fight; Malcolm has been unable to cope with responsibility of being of the middle generation and sees the restaurant business is failing, so he is completely unhinged and constantly self-justifying; his aggression makes him the villain somewhat. There is hope for Luther, he’s gentle, innocent and easy going, but the disappointment he has in his father is palpable. Underneath the surface of it all there is a deep love between the three. Themes include:

'[...]mental health, masculinity, and generational trauma'

The play has a captivating dialogue and Everai A Walsh (Sydney) and Jayden Hanley (Luther) are superb in their delivery of it, the writer, Daniel J Carver (who plays Malcolm) has not only presented a playscript that speaks to its audience and which enters the consciousness as a collective, but gives an outstanding, individual, performance that is strenuous and feisty.

The movement and scenes of physical aggression are well worked through. The scenery is a wonderful visual: the work of Amanda Mascarenhas. The set is decorated to Sydney's taste and musings without doubt, so, though out-dated, it is sunshine yellow with green cloths, there is a cash only till point and a Jamaican flag covers one third of the serving hatch from the kitchen. The wall space includes a map of Jamaica and some clippings; posters of activists Martin Luther King JR and Malcolm X in black and white. A stylised Bob Marley image and ex Coventry FC and West Bromwich Albion legend, Cyrille Regis in full colour.

Once the story telling gains pace Revealed demands attention; Act II is absolutely enthralling, sincerely recommended.
Directed by Jay Zorenti Nakhid.

Review by Theatre Critic, Debra Hall who attended the performance of Revealed at The Belgrade Theatre on Thursday 24 October at 1pm.

References
Belgrade Theatre Press Release: BELGRADE THEATRE TO HOST BLACK MEN ON THE COUCH AND REVEALED: FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION 02 Oct 2024

Belgrade Theatre Revealed - Press Night Invitation 07 Oct 2024

https://www.belgrade.co.uk/events/revealed/