The Lonely Londoners by Roy Williams based on the novel by Sam Selvon. Jermyn Street Theatre, 16b Jermyn Street, London SW1Y to 6 April 2024.

4✩✩✩✩ Review: William Russell.

“A powerful finely acted but hard to follow at times play about the Windrush Generation.”

Sam Selvon’s novel about what the Windrush generation, who had believed they were coming to the motherland, f ound when they arrived is brilliantly brought to life in this adaptation by Roy Williams. A first rate cast deal with the rejections, the cruelties and the discovery that as far as white Britons were concerned at the time their claim to be British, to have been invited to come, counted for nothing. That Britain was the motherland to which all in the Empire belonged was, of course, fraudulent. If there is any flaw in the evening it is that at times the Jamaican English becomes hard to understand at times, but even if you don’t quite get the meaning clearly what is going on is always perfectly clear as some become depressed, marriages founder, some turn to crime, so to wheeling and dealing within the Windrush community. Director Ebenezer Bamgboye has placed the cast sitting on boxes lined along a wall of squares made up of lights which change colour, change the pattern of the bulbs making up each square and sometime black out completely as something happens to one of the immigrants, or a particular story being told ends. When they are not performing the cast sit like wax works completely oblivious of what is happening in front of their eyes. It is very disturbing to watch them. There could have been a more realistic set but what designer Laura Ann Price has opted for works perfectly as the setting for the domestic rows and allows space for some athletic dance routines displaying the camaraderie among the men. The women are much tougher than they are. This is the world then, and while it is still relevant in terms of what Selvon wants to say about society these immigrants did move on. They may start out in dreadful digs masterminded by Moses, the ever ebullient, but change did come. Because of the accents it is actually not as complete an experience as it could have been – if ever subtitles were needed this is one time when they would have helped.

Cast

Tobi Bakare – Lewis.

Gamba Cole – Moses.

Shannin Hayes – Agnes.

Gilbert Kyem Jnr – Big City.

Carol Moses – Tauty.

Aimee Powell – Christina.

Romario Simpson – Galahad.

Creatives

Director – Ebenezer Bamgboye.

Designer – Laura Ann Price.

Costume Designer – Annett Black.

Lighting Designer – Elliot Griggs.

Sound Designer – Tony Gayle.

Movement Director – Nevena Stojkov.

Voice & Dialect Coach – Aundrea Fudge.