Little Baby Jesus

by Arinzé Kene

seen at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond, on 24 October 2019

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu directs Anyebe Godwin as Kehinde, Rachel Nwokoro as Joanne and Khai Shaw as Rugrat in this intense three-hander about teenagers facing the challenge of growing into adulthood. the production is designed by Tara Usher

On a raised circle imitating school playground asphalt there are two chairs and three actors. As the audience arrives and settles the three are happily chatting to their public, singling out particular people for conversation, ranging around the four sides of seats. It's a risky gambit, preserving or establishing some sense of character without knowing quite what responses they will have to react to, but it is in line with the breezy self-confidence of youth, and the young actors seemed entirely at ease with the idea. Even the presence of at least two groups of school students in the audience did not appear to put them off their stride, and the students themselves enjoyed the repartee.

Kehinde's story, Joanne's story and Rugrat's story are told intertwined with one another, and as each one becomes the focus, the other two actors are co-opted to act out other parts as necessary; the three are evidently known to each other but are not experiencing the crisis in each of their lives together. They are in the busy demanding world of their adolescence, coping with family pressure or tragedy, dealing with unsympathetic teachers, managing the difficult challenges of peer group pressures and loyalties as best they can, grappling with the effort to be themselves without yet knowing how hard that might be. 

The knockabout quality of the scene-setting, the easy asides to the audience and occasional direct involvement of an audience member to make a point, gradually transforms from high-spirited evocations of teenage brashness to an unexpected sobriety as each person faces a moment of 'growing up' which will clearly define their futures. The transitions are deft and powerful, the sense of the mysterious challenge carrying a surprisingly spiritual charge. Indeed there are several clearly biblical allusions, a bold move perhaps in this secular age which might completely fail to recognise the references. But this dimension underlines the seriousness of the storytelling; the conclusion is only slightly marred by the over-earnest admonishments to the audience at the end.

It's a fine play, performed with great verve and commitment, and it is a real tribute to the cast and the director that they kept the teenagers in the audience totally on side; such an audience can be very intolerant of any fakery or condescension, and there was none here.