Braids/Cheer Up Slug
14th October 2021
Braids/Cheer up Slug are two short, one act plays currently playing as a double bill at the Live Theatre. Braids centres two teenagers, Jasmine and Abeni, growing up in the North East of England. Often using the theme of hair, they discuss racism, family dramas and friendship, providing a coming-of-age story which looks at growing up while ‘fitting in and standing out’. Cheer Up Slug also stars two teenagers, Bean and Will, this time camping on a Duke of Edinburgh trip. What begins as a light-hearted comedy quickly gets out of hand as both friends discover more about the other – and about themselves – than they had planned for. As two coming-of-age stories, these plays work well consecutively – both feel authentically young in tone, with believably teenage characters discussing issues very relevant to the current moment.
I was not immediately sold on Braids. Particularly at the beginning, the acting and the staging both felt a little stilted – many of the scenes contained little movement from the characters, leaving it somewhat low on energy to start. However, as the play progressed, the actors seemed to relax a little more into their roles, and the characters were able to shine through. The actor playing Jasmine in particular did a lovely job in embracing her ‘weird’ as Abeni terms it, bringing out many moments of comedy, even whilst talking about incredibly serious topics. As the characters developed, so did their friendship, and it was refreshing to see frank conversations about growing up and race ultimately handled with love between the two girls. During one of the transitions between scenes, Jasmine and Abeni hold hands, silhouetted against the backdrop, a powerful display of their bond.
The conversations the two characters have are nuanced: Abeni is black and Jasmine is mixed race, and whilst they have things in common (notably their braids, and all they represent), they discuss how the world treats them differently. The point that this play makes best is that each character is both totally unique and utterly normal – just like any teenager.
Braids was certainly enjoyable, however the very energy onstage changed with Bean’s first chaotic entrance in Cheer Up Slug. This production relaxed into its comedy straight away as the two friends bicker and play, reminding me at points of the tone of the Inbetweeners. The writing felt strong throughout, but the actors really made their characters sing – their chemistry was evident, and they bounced off each other perfectly. As the tone of the play grew darker, the performances and writing only improved; Bean’s monologue towards the end was gripping and a definite highlight. That being said, it was the actor playing Will who really stole the show for me. His downfall from a clueless but ultimately sweet boy to something far more sinister was masterful – I, as well as every woman I’m sure, have known plenty of Wills. It pointed to something bigger than the two individual characters, that being a society that teaches an entitlement in boys, however innocent they may otherwise be.
While the climax of Cheer Up Slug was chilling, the very end felt a little like it ran out of steam. This was by no means enough to ruin the otherwise perfect pacing of the play however, and I haven’t stopped thinking about this production since.
Braids/Cheer Up Slug plays at Live Theatre until Saturday 28th October
Evie Kerr
No comments:
Post a Comment