Tag Archives: #Venue53

‘In The Black’ (Stephenson Theatre at TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, until AUG 23 – not AUG 10 or 17)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 4*, Rated: Nae Bad, Theatre by

“Degraft’s snappy verbal delivery makes strong use of vivid comic irony to show how American society can be too geared up for stereotypes which can inflict roles on us all.”

Editorial Rating: 4 Stars (Nae Bad)

Quaz Degraft describes his show as “a dark comedy solo play about an ambitious Black accountant fighting for a seat at the table in the high-stakes world of Wall Street”. Presented in a light and lively style, Degraft plays a first-generation immigrant Ghanaian kid called Kofi whose traditional and ruthlessly ambitious father uses his belt to drive his son into the “respectable” profession of accountancy. The parental idea of the key to the American dream is to acquire qualification as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

The fact that the play opens and closes with Kofi in the fluorescent orange jumpsuit of a Federal Prison inmate is a vivid indicator of how the American Dream can turn into a nightmare. It’s a story about a search for identity as much as success, but from what Kofi’s family can see of life in New York City, financial success is identity.

However, the street culture of New York offers too many tempting distractions for the young Kofi that pull him away from the direction in which his father points. Degraft’s snappy verbal delivery makes strong use of vivid comic irony to show how American society can be too geared up for stereotypes which can inflict roles on us all. But is the system of huge corporate behemoths in the city’s financial district designed to admit kids like Kofi? He is working class as well as black – will those two things make him too much of an outsider? Will getting a CPA license solve his problems?

Dressing himself in the uniform of his target profession – a suit – Kofi talks his way into an entry-level position that he hopes will lead him to becoming “the (pre-slap) Will Smith of Wall Street”. But as this pacy drama quickly reveals, the rarified atmosphere of high finance has as many pitfalls as life at street level; and it’s not just white-collar crime that’s committed by the masters of the universe in their plate-glass corner offices.

This engaging one-man drama offers its audience two contemporary themes: that of the immigrant experience of finding a way to be admitted into a new culture; and the shock of toxic cultures that outsiders can experience once doors are opened to let them in.

Well worth a look, but the Stephenson Theatre in TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall is a small, intimate venue and seats will only get harder to come by. The show runs for most of August, but don’t leave it too long to grab a ticket.

 

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‘Supermarket 86′ (Stephenson Theatre at TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall, until AUG 23 – not AUG 10 or 17)

Posted in *EdFestivals 2025, 5*, Rated: Outstanding, Theatre by

“Mia Pelosi’s wryly witty script dances between sarcastic wisecracking and angst-ridden emotion.”

Editorial Rating: 5 Stars (Outstanding)

Set in a supermarket in upstate New York, this character-driven comic drama explores the lives of five young women who find themselves trapped there overnight due to a blizzard. As the evening develops, awkward conversations and unexpected revelations reveal that they all know each other. Mia Pelosi’s wryly witty script dances between sarcastic wisecracking and angst-ridden emotion, whilst Ellie Aslanian’s direction presents us with a tight, pacy, well-structured production in the Stephenson Theatre: a small, intimate black-box studio in TheSpace @ Surgeons’ Hall.

Pelosi also plays the feisty manager of the supermarket, whose dull night shift is transformed by the arrival of four customers blown in by the storm outside. The first to arrive is Dove, a quiet, waif-like and seemingly reserved young woman; well wrapped-up against the harsh weather, she dismisses Rose’s offers of assistance. Then, Summer, a cheerful regular customer with a sweet tooth who has struck up a friendship with Rose, pops in for a chat. Next, June, a bubbly child-woman, bounces in seeking the Vegan Aisle. So far, so mysterious; but there is a sudden frisson when the statuesque Peyton arrives and there is a shock of recognition from Rose.

At this point, a brief power cut heralds the suspension of normal life and Rose invites her customers to shelter in the store overnight. As the women reluctantly settle in for the inevitable forced socialising that the circumstances demand, one mischievously suggests a game of Truth or Dare as a way to get to know each other. No plot spoilers here, but as the evening progresses, they all realise that, for various reasons, they have shared backgrounds involving high school, college, and quite a lot of sex. This situation of young women being trapped in the equivalent of a confessional adolescent sleepover quickly breaks down the psychological inhibitions of adulthood with embarrassingly revealing consequences and a number of laugh-out-loud moments.

Even as the game ends, the dramatic energy released by the exposed secrets drives a spiralling dynamic of seething emotion and dark humour as ex-high school peers are forced to reconfront the unresolved flings and mistakes of their teenage years. As a 66 year-old male reviewer, I’m always intrigued to glimpse insights into the female psyche offered by shows such as this. Were I in any doubt about the veracity of those on offer here, it was quickly dispelled by the shrieks of laughter from women around me in the audience. (Us guys loved it all, too.)

June’s childlike artlessness – hilariously conveyed by Ariana Perez’s wide-eyed exuberance and comically mobile face – is shown to be a mask for her character’s desperate search for an identity in life (currently veganism). Megan Higley subtly reveals the enigmatic Dove to be a case of still waters running very deep. Caitlin Kresta engagingly shows the uptight Peyton gradually lowering her guardrail and facing up to the fallout from her past. Jamilah Rosemond presents Summer as a deceptively knowing and shrewd young woman, bemused by her strange new companions, whilst probably being the most based person in the room. As Rose, Mia Pelosi is the driving force of the action and the humour, both with the group and in a couple of revealing private conversations with two of her unexpected visitors.

In a Fringe theatre list increasingly dominated by single-handed shows and knockabout comedies, this penetrating and nuanced comic ensemble piece is a welcome breath of fresh air. It runs until 23rd August, but in a relatively small auditorium tickets will sell out quickly, so get yours booked early!

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