Review: FOR COLORED GIRLS WHO HAVE CONSIDERED SUICIDE / WHEN THE RAINBOW IS ENUF, The Yard Theatre
The newly reopened venue brings a feminist theatre classic to its stage.
Ntozake Shange’s 1976 choreopoem comes to London on the 50th anniversary of its premiere. Directed by Diane Page, with original music by Jammz, the piece is a precise excavation of love and loss, grief and empowerment. The power of sisterhood manifests in a series of poetic monologues where seven women who have experienced abuse tell their stories. It’s time to listen. Set to Ingrid Mackinnon’s movement direction, the production is an exciting addition to the programme for the newly reopened Yard Theatre, but it may be a tad too long for what it is to be fully digestible.
Tatenda Matsvai, Nadine Higgin, Cherrelle Skeete, Alex Thomas-Smith, and Ibilola Rossi deliver unflinching performances of Shange’s visceral writing. They’re a dazzling cast, full of charisma, and personalities that shine beyond the recollections of cruelty. Page strips down the mise-en-scène to naked storytelling. Against the raw space of the Yard, their only aids are Jammz’s soundscapes and Ali Hunter’s lighting design.
for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at The Yard Theatre
The relative bareness of the visuals are an opportunity to focus on what’s being said in all its harrowing brutality. Evocative descriptions act as a preamble for the characters to dive into the violent events that marked their lives. From rape to domestic assault, the accounts paint a disturbing picture of the universal experience of being a woman – specifically a Black woman.
Different shades of abuse – emotional, psychological, physical – are conjured in intense scenes. The language Shange uses is sophisticated and surprising, allowing the script to take unpredictable but assured swerves. Jolts of violence shift the tone with deft turns of phrase, but the rhythm of the play could be more consistent. Long slogs drag the pace to a halt, while the more choral moments are a pure delight when it comes to their tempo.
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for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf at The Yard Theatre
This is a landmark in feminist Black theatre for a reason. It’s unyielding and uncompromising, difficult to absorb and horribly real. However, it’s also fairly two-dimensional and reductive in its representation of abuse, portraying men’s toxic behaviours as mostly correlated to the sexual or romantic spheres of a woman’s life. Though the piece shows its age in many ways, it’s horrifying to realise how relevant it remains half a century on.
For colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf runs at The Yard Theatre until 17 October.
Photography by Camilla Greenwell
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