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The cavernous Hackney Downs Studio is a tough space to fill, but The Big House theatre company rises to the challenge impressively well with this original musical, which transforms the huge studio into an urban London neighbourhood, with flair and imagination.
Two massive screens project street scenes, on one side of the stage there’s a trendy bar, the other a drug den, and double yellow lines stretch down the middle of the cold concrete floors. These are the endz of young offender Jay Johnson, the protagonist of ‘The Realness’ who has just got out of prison after a 17-month sentence for robbery.
The disappointingly obvious plot – which ends with slightly cloying optimism – follows Jay, who is determined to stick on the straight and narrow. But as he struggles to balance his hopes with the reality of going back to his old stomping ground – where he can’t avoid the drug boss he used to help out – his path begins to curve and then spirals out of control.
It’s a story that mirrors many on our city’s actual streets: The Big House is a company that works with care leavers and ex-offenders and most of the cast have grown up in care. They make a strong ensemble, and there are standout performances, including from Veronique Andre, who plays Jay’s smart girlfriend, and has an astonishing pop voice. Elsewhere Ashley Gayle anchors the piece as Jay – a believable, strong thread throughout.
There’s too much happening in Maureen Chadwick and David Watson’s script, and with so much crammed in it’s hard to get much depth from the characters. Several of Kath Gotts’s songs are really catchy – the poppy ‘Turn Around’, the gospel ballad ‘Me Fail, Him Fall’ and the brilliantly wacky ‘Ticket Machine’ which is performed with great comedy by KM Drew Boateng – however these are bright spots in a line-up of fairly mediocre tunes.
But, generally, this new musical is buoyed by some excellent performances and demonstrates a company brimming with robust talent and passion.