Review: SMALL ISLAND, Nottingham Playhouse
Photo credit: Pamela Raith
After its successful run at National Theatre in 2019, Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of Andrea Levy’s novel Small Island is being presented regionally for the first time – at Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Rep, and now Nottingham Playhouse.
Small Island is a vast and complex story which allows us to explore the history of UK and Jamaica. We follow Hortense, Queenie and Gilbert who all have desires to escape their mundane lives - Hortense and Gilbert long to escape Jamaica for the UK, whilst Queenie wishes to escape her remote farm in Lincolnshire. Each get their desires but perhaps not everything is quite as wonderful as they might have imagined. Their stories, set against the backdrop of World War II and then the Windrush migration, become deeply intertwined offering fascinating and powerful commentary on race and racism, belonging, and what it means to be human.
Helen Edmundson’s play, whilst being over three hours long, never drags. It feels large in scale but never so large that we don’t get to know our characters. We are given lots of time to invest in our lead characters, making their struggles all the more moving. Act 1 is surprisingly funny, elevated by Matthew Xia’s direction and the cast’s comic timing, which makes Act 2 all the more powerful and challenging to watch.
Whilst the story is set many decades ago, director Matthew Xia ensures the piece feels relevant to today – the laughs all land and the punches all hit hard. Whilst Simon Kenny’s set is fairly minimalistic (particularly in Act 1), it still feels incredibly naturalistic. Ciarán Cunningham’s lighting design is incredibly effective at ensuring we know exactly where we are as the locations rapidly change in Act 1. It also differentiates the direct address from the naturalistic scenes very well. Gino Ricardo Green’s video design gives us a history lesson throughout the play, whilst the action somehow, sadly, still feels like it could well happen today. Luke Bacchus’ music enhances the emotional quality of the play, whilst also capturing the Jamaican culture.
Lucy Casson CDG’s cast bring to life this epic tale brilliantly. Anna Crichlow, who plays Hortense, really captures the identity struggles that mixed race individuals can feel around belonging – something that isn’t explored on stage as much as it perhaps should be. Her heartbreak when realising London isn’t what she imagined is really moving. She has a lovely rapport with Jordan Laviniere as Little Michael and then Rhys Stephenson as Michael, Hortense’s cousin. Laviniere is wonderfully energetic, whilst Stephenson makes a strong professional debut as the strong and progressive minded career person. We never find out exactly what happens to Michael which is a shame, and it is sad that Michael and Hortense never get reunited after all the years that she waits for him – the unfortunate reality of war. Marcia Mantack is full of warmth as Miss Jewel, the closest thing Hortense has to a loving mother.
Daniel Ward, fresh from starring as Solomon Clarke in Death in Paradise, takes on the role as Gilbert. Ward portrays Gilbert’s optimism and desire to love, whilst also capturing his struggles with racism powerfully and believably. The relationship between Ward and Crichlow develops very naturally from a ‘useful’ marriage to a relationship that could actually last.
Bronté Barbé is immediately likeable as Queenie, full of the Northern warmth and loving nature. She walks the line between innocent ignorance and the desire to love and be accepting beautifully. Her relationship with Mark Arends as Bernard goes from awkward and juvenile to beautiful yet fraught naturally. Arends is wonderful as the far less accepting British man who is very much stuck in his ways and beliefs. Paul Hawkyard is funny yet endearing as Bernard’s father Arthur.
Small Island is a powerful story, presented here in a way that really hits hard. Unfortunately, it is a story that that still really needs to be told. Hopefully this play and this story can encourage just a few of us to open our hearts and minds a bit more, and play our vital role in making our country a place that everyone can call home.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Jacob Bush
Small Island plays at Nottingham Playhouse until 16 May, with further info here.