SITE GUIDE
SEARCH
REVIEWS
REVIEW ARCHIVES
ADVERTISING AT CURTAINUP
FEATURES
NEWS
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
LISTINGS
Broadway
Off-Broadway
NYC Restaurants
BOOKS and CDs
OTHER PLACES
Berkshires
London
California
New Jersey
DC
Connecticut
Philadelphia
Elsewhere
QUOTES
TKTS
PLAYWRIGHTS' ALBUMS
LETTERS TO EDITOR
FILM
LINKS
MISCELLANEOUS
Free Updates
Masthead
Writing for Us
A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewFences
|
"Some people build fences to keep people out and other people build fences to keep people in."
— Bono
|
Leny Henry as Troy and Tanya Moodie as Rose
(Photo: Nobby Clark) |
The first act is a longish haul as we learn that Troy's sporting career came too early in the days of segregation and prejudice, even in professional sport where only talent should matter. This first act is about Troy's sons by his first wife — musician Lyons (Peter Bankolé) who grew up when Troy was in jail and Cory (Ashley Zhangazha), Rose's son who is a promising sportsman.
We meet Troy's long time friend and work colleague Jim Bono (Colin McFarlane) and there is Troy's brother, psychiatrically troubled Gabriel (Ako Mitchell) who has a metal plate in his head after serving in the war. The thrust of this first act is Troy trying to protect his son Cory from the racism he experienced in baseball. "I don't want him to be like me," says Troy. We are not sure whether Troy might be jealous if Cory were to succeed or that he is genuinely protecting his son. We suspect the former.
In the first act Troy is building the fence around himself to keep people out. He dislikes Lyons' decision to become a jazz musician; he keeps Cory out by limiting Cory's ambition in professional sport; his brother Gabriel has chosen to live elsewhere and Troy's infidelity towards Rose keeps her at arm's length. The clever aspect of Wilson's writing is the shades he gives his characters, the balance of Troy as a humorous and likeable man, a loving husband and yet also unfaithful and hurtful and a controlling father. In the second act Rose wants the fence completed to keep her family close by.
Director Paulette Randall has honed these real performances for this excellent production. By the end of the play we know each and every one of Wilson's characters. The is powerful and poetic. Libby Watson's set is the spacious Pittsburgh house bought with brother Gabriel's compensatory payment for his war wound and surrounded by greenery as well as the eponymous fences. Johanna Town's lighting gives us different times of day as the family gather in the yard and behind the gauze of the window we see Rose preparing food in the kitchen.
The second act has a big bruising scene as Troy confesses his adultery with Alberta to Rose and tells her that he will leave because Alberta is pregnant. "She gives me a different idea about myself, " says Troy about the other woman in Florida. Tanya Moodie is a RADA trained actress with a RSC pedigree and the strength of acting in this distressing scene from her and Henry is the highlight of the play. After the death of Troy, Wilson allows us to look back on his life and for the family to remember his intellectual and cultural legacy to them and for Rose, her daughter Raynell (Crystal Mills).
For my editor's review of the play in New York in 2010 starring Denzel Washington go here and see the links to the backgrounder on August Wilson.
|
Subscribe to our FREE email updates with a note from editor Elyse Sommer about additions to the website -- with main page hot links to the latest features posted at our numerous locations. To subscribe,
E-mail: esommer@curtainup.comesommer@curtainup.com
put SUBSCRIBE CURTAINUP EMAIL UPDATE in the subject line and your full name and email address in the body of the message -- if you can spare a minute, tell us how you came to CurtainUp and from what part of the country. |
| Fences
Written by August Wilson Directed by Paulette Randall Starring: Lenny Henry, Tanya Moodie, Colin McFarlane, Peter Bankolé, Ako Mitchell. Ashley Zhangazha With: Crystal Mills/Ella Odedina/Tranae Sinclair Designed by Libby Watson Lighting: Johanna Town Sound and Music: Al Ashford Composer: Delroy Murray Choreographer: 'H' Patten Fight director: Bret Yount Running time: Two hours 45 minutes with an interval Box Office: 0844 4124659 Booking to 14th September 2013 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 17th June 2013 at the Duchess Theatre, Catherine Street, London WC2V 5LA (Tube: Covent Garden) |
|
REVIEW FEEDBACK Highlight one of the responses below and click "copy" or"CTRL+C"
Paste the highlighted text into the subject line (CTRL+ V): Feel free to add detailed comments in the body of the email . . . also the names and emails of any friends to whom you'd like us to forward a copy of this review. |
