BWW Reviews: UNDER A FOREIGN SKY, The Unicorn Theatre, October 5 2011

The Unicorn Theatre shines even among the extraordinary diamonds and pearls of London's theatre scene. A two minute walk from the old city's finest view of Tower Bridge and the River and five minutes from the heaving masses of London Bridge station, its two purpose-built auditoriums have played host to some of my favourite productions over the last few years. Now under new management, the Unicorn's Autumn 2011 programme has much to live up to.

Fortunately,Theatre Centre's production of Paula B. Stanic's Under a Foreign Sky (at The Unicorn until 8 October and on tour) continues the Theatre's tradition of challenging young audiences with material that is relevant, though-provoking and, most importantly, utterly engaging. Over a sixty minute emotional rollercoaster, three interlinking stories reveal the ebb and flow of the relationships being built by Kosovan refugees trying to make their way in London. Bojan is a nineteen year-old Jamie Oliver wannabee whose quick wit and hard work win over his chef, if not his manager. Drina is fourteen and slowly getting to know and get along with the mother she barely knew, as her friends back home get more and more distant, despite the power of Facebook. Ibi, just twelve years old and in the hands of traffickers, has his fate explained through the trust that develops between Elmer and Anthony, determined, in their own ways and for their own reasons, to find the lost boy.

The young cast convey the emotional impact of sundered lives without ever toppling over into soap-opera cliches nor emoting instead of acting. Simona Bitmate as Drina captures the way a teenage girl can destroy and repair relationships with real senstivity and Miles Yekinni plays two very different, very decent men with a winning charisma and charm. The understated nature of the undemonstrative acting on an all but bare set, made the late moments of high drama all the more powerful, with gasps all around me as an audience up of teens revealed their complete engagement with this powerful, tender and contemporary work that asks some important questions of London as it prepares to welcome the world in 2012.     

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