ARTS 29
2November 2019 THE WEEK
Drama
Theatre: Little Baby Jesus
OrangeTreeTheatre,Richmond(020-89403633).Until 16 November Runningtime:2hrs20mins ★★★★★
It’sbeenquitetheyearforthe
actor-writerArinzéKene,said
MattWolfonTheArtsDesk.
TheWestEndtransferofhis
self-pennedone-manplay
MistybroughthimOlivier
nominationsasbothactorand
writer.Hethenwonplauditsas
thevolatilesonBiffintheYoung
Vic’sacclaimedproductionof
DeathofaSalesman.Andnow
theOrangeTreeinRichmond
hasstagedastunninglyvivid
andhigh-energyrevivalof
Kene’s 201 1playLittleBaby
Jesus.Aplaythattellsthestory
ofthreeinner-cityLondonteens
atapivotalmomentofgrowing
upintoadulthood,itislargelymadeupofrapid-firemonologues.
Cleverlyintertwiningtheirseparatenarratives,itclimaxesina
poeticepilogueandanexhortationtotheaudience.Theadrenalin
neverletsupinapacyproductionthatissopepperedwith
brilliantverbalandphysicalriffs,it frequentlyhas“thefeel of
alanguage-leddance”.
WithMisty,Kenedexterouslyflipped“another generic angry
youngblack manplay”intoanabsorbingandentertainingshow
aboutthequandariesofrepresentingrace onstage,saidMaxie
Szalwinskain The SundayTimes.AndwithLittleBabyJesus,the
playwrightedges towards–butthen“joyfullydodges”–talesof
blackinner-city woe. Theeveningisanabsolutetriumph forits
outstandingthree-strongcast, saidJ.N. Benjaminin The Stage.
RachelNwokorois
“sensational”asthehardas
nailsbutvulnerableJoanne,
anddeliversherspeecheswith
a“lyricalflow”worthyofa
world-classrapper.KhaiShaw
isjustas“brilliant”asthe
clownishRugrat,and
AnyebeGodwinhasan
incrediblestillnessinhis
portrayalofmature-beyond-his-
yearsKehinde.“Collectively,
they’redynamite.”
Theproductionisalsoa
triumphforitsyoungdirector
TristanFynn-Aiduenu,said
MiriamGillinsoninThe
Guardian.Fynn-Aiduenuisthis
year’swinneroftheJMKAwardforemergingdirectors,andis
plainlyatalenttobereckonedwith.HetakesKene’sscriptasan
“invitationtoplay”,andthen“runs–no,sprints–withit”.His
showhas“greatbravadoandheart”–andit’senormousfun.
Nwokoro and Godwin: “sensational”
The week’s other opening
Botticelliinthe FireHamsptead Theatre, LondonNW3
(020-7722 9301).Until23 November
JordanTannahill’s2016 play,amash-up of historical fact and
fiction, gets an “audacious” staging from director Blanche
McIntyre. But overall it feels likeapiece of “multimedia
performance art” withaplaystruggling to get out (Guardian).
FKA twigs:
Magdalene
Young Turks
£9.99
The release ofCellophane,the “extra-
ordinary, raw” first single from FKA twigs’s
new collection, suggested we were in for
a“break-up album to equal the greatest in
the genre”, said Dan Cairns in The Sunday
Times. “Well,Magdaleneis emphatically
that.”Aseries of bold, beautiful songs
capture the stages of loss with “visceral,
almost operatic power”. This is the art-pop
equivalent of chamber music: “moments
of infinite subtlety and sonority” suddenly
give way to “explosions of colour”. “It’s
overwhelming–and amasterpiece.”
Tahliah Barnett (twigs’s real name) is
agifted dancer–and director of music
videos and short films–aswell as a
musician, said Mark Richardson in The
Wall Street Journal. She’sahard act to
classify, but there’sastrong “classical
undercurrent” that brings to mind pioneers
such as Kate Bush and Björk. Her “eerie”
sound evokes “a cathedral more than
anightclub”–and there are moments
here where her music delivers “a kind
of transcendence found nowhere else”.
The third studio album from the Dublin
foursome Lankum isa“fierce and fragile
masterpiece”, said Siobhan Long in
The Irish Times. The band is known for
reworking familiar folk songs inaway
that forces the listener to re-evaluate them
“from the ground floor up”. And on this
“chillingly cohesive” and “visceral” album
–ofj ust eight songs, but withahefty
56-minute running time–they builda“wall
of sound”that “rattles” assumptions about
what traditional and folk music can be.
The sound is based on uilleann pipes,
concertina and harmonium, which “drone
terrifyingly, sounding drained of their
souls”, said Jude Rogers in The Guardian
–while vocal harmonies evoke the “witchy
barrenness” of the Portishead albumThird.
The results are hugely impressive, and can
be “thunderously sad”.The Wild Rover,for
example, is transformed fromarousing
drinking ditty intoamoving account of
poverty-stricken regret, with “scraped
strings rising in tone like the wail of an
air-raid siren”. It’s “devastating” stuff.
“As wedding gifts go, this one beat the
customary diamond ring,” said Richard
Fairman in the FT. On the eve of their
wedding in 1840, Robert Schumann
presented his wife-to-be, Clara, with a
deluxe edition ofMyrthen,his newly
composed cycle of 26 songs named after
the German symbol of marriage, the myrtle.
For this recording, the second instalment in
aseries of complete Schumann songs
recorded by Christian Gerhaher, the pre-
eminent lieder specialist is joined by the
Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling, and
accompanied with “exemplary
clearheadedness” by pianist Gerold Huber.
Tilling’s “bright, flexible sound” turns out
to bea“perfectfoil for Gerhaher’s honeyed
warmth”, said Andrew Clements in The
Guardian. It’sastro ng collection, which
keeps up the standard set by the excellent
first album. Of the highlights dotted through
the disc,aparticular standout is Gerhaher’s
performance ofAus den hebräischen
Gesängen,withits ch romatic, “almost
Schoenbergian” piano introduction.
Lankum: The
Livelong Day
Rough Trade
£10
Albums of the week: three new releases
Schumann:
Myrthen –
Christian
Gerhaher,
Camilla Tilling
and Gerold
Huber
Sony Classical
£9.99
©ALI WRIGHT
Stars reflect the overall quality of reviews and our own independent assessment (5 stars=don’t miss;1star=don’t bother)
Book your tickets now by calling 020-7492 9948 or visiting TheWeekTickets.co.uk
