Mr Bugz, a 90s hall of fame DJ in Dan McCabe’s comedy, kick-starts The Purists by spinning the decks and encouraging some old school ‘hands in the air like you just don’t care.’
Press Night cognoscenti may not be a first-choice crowd for some hip-hop audience participation, but the conviction of this European premiere at the Kiln - seamlessly directed by Amit Sharma – ensures that every aspect delivers.
Themes are layered, performances impressively humane, and the witty dialogue fizzes as discussions about masculinity, misogyny and creative relevance are kept as real as the brilliantly rendered characters.
Tom Piper’s detailed cross-section set of a Queens tenement brings home the domestic with urban cool as scaffolding and graffiti are interspersed with kitchen sink realism.
It’s here that white, ageing ticket agency manager Gerry [a star turn from Jasper Britton], spends hours chatting in the hazy glow of summer on the stoop with Mr. Bugz [Richard Pepple], and legendary emcee, Lamont Born Cipher [Sule Rimi].
When two young women, posh-girl, wannabe rapper Nancy [Emma Kingston] and wired Latino dealer Val [Tiffany Gray], pitch up, the ageing men are forced to confront their views on sexuality and race as well as the political and social function of music.
In a play about emcees, the rhythms of language are going to be a key feature.
Like August Wilson, McCabe savours its mellifluous quality and allows dialogue plenty of time to breathe as a way of unlocking characters and their hidden pain.
Mr. Bugz’s weariness at hiding his true sexuality having spent a lifetime presenting an aggressive facade of masculinity becomes a moving end-note.
Likewise, Lamont’s intractable position that Mr. Bugz cannot muddy that responsibility for young black men who look up to him by doing a confessional radio interview is also touching.
Lamont’s political monologues have a haunting melancholy beauty. Details about music industry double standards are intercut with laugh-out-loud musical theatre anecdotes from obsessed Gerry [and not many characters can credibly carry off bunny slippers].
The production runs at two and a half hours but I could have listened to them hanging out for hours longer.
The Purists runs at Kiln Theatre, Kilburn until December 21st.
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