Play review by Julia Pattison: My Voice Was Heard But It Was Ignored at Pocklington Arts Centre

Venue: Pocklington Arts Centre

Review by: Julia Pattison

My goodness, this writer’s voice was heard (Nana-Kofi Kufuor) at Pocklington Arts Centre on Thursday, November 25, and was impossible to ignore, thanks to Red Letter Theatre Company’s fantastic cast and creative team.

A production lasting approximately 80 minutes, you were gripped from the start, and experienced a whole range of emotions along with 15-year-old Reece (Jelani D’Aguilar) and his young, Black teacher Gillian (Misha Duncan-Barry).

Adam Foley’s Lighting and Projection design reflected the references to violence, complementing Tayo Akinbode’s sound, and Caitlin Mawhinney’s set design; stark, and raw, just like the emotions expressed.

Directed by Dermot Daly, with an age guidance of 14+ I felt the very strong language was fully justified to investigate “what race can feel like; how it touches everything, including a tangible sense of self”.

In a dramatic opening we witnessed Reece being roughly accosted by the police outside M&S.

His young, Black teacher Gillian saw everything, but she didn’t question or intervene in the disturbing scene that played out.

The consequences of her lack of action erupted the following day when Gillian found herself locked in a classroom after school with her angry Black student.

With no clear intent, Reece refused to relinquish the key.

Both Misha Duncan-Barry and Jelani D’Aguilar were outstanding in their roles, giving great insight into the anguish both characters were feeling.

When Reece was desperately trying to keep himself calm he’d deploy hand Tai Chi moves; a subtle but very effective way of conveying his feelings of frustration and anger.

There were no holds barred in that stark room as the linguistic gloves came off; both expressed their true feelings to each other in no uncertain terms.

It was touching that Reece was shocked by his teacher swearing, despite swearing like a trouper himself; credit to writer Nana-Kofi Kufuor for his keen observation of the mind of a truculent teenager, regardless of race.

A dramatic ending closed the play, fulfilling its goal of beginning a conversation; after not being able to meet up for over a year due to Covid, my guest and I spent considerable time discussing the questions raised in this powerful, thought provoking play.

Credit to Pocklington Arts Centre for excellent Covid Safety measures in the theatre, without impacting on the pleasure of seeing a live theatre performance again.