Lorna Irvine reviews 'a likeable enough play with enough charm and humour to sustain it'.
Emteaz Hussain's fine two-hander is a coming-of-age drama that pulses with youthful energy.
Caneze (Krupa Pattani), a no-nonsense young woman, meets Sully (Adam Samuel-Bal), an insecure, naive young man at college, and the attraction grows. Soon though, the mismatched couple have more heat to deal with than the chilli sauce at Nando's, struggling to stay together as Caneze's proud family attempts to sever their union.
Hussain has a sharp nib for the insecurities of fledgling relationships: Sully's cringe-making faux-Jamaican patois (all 'bombarclart' and 'jah know') and 'gangsta' posturing is a nice contrast to Caneze's more level-headed approach, as they attempt to reconcile familial resistance. Pattani is excellent, but Samuel-Bal struggles in the more heightened scenes of dramatic tension--although his mimicry is brilliant.
However, the script is at times a little hampered by character inconsistencies. Sully's actions often seem too stupid to appeal to the smart and ambitious Caneze. When Caneze is raped by Yousuf (the brute she is to be married off to), she recovers remarkably quickly. The same goes for the violent beatings Sully suffers. Even Caneze's self-harm isn't effectively portrayed, carried out like a household chore. Such moments of suffering seem thrown in as mere exposition points when they should shock and devastate.
Yet, there are many scenes which are touching and tender, notably Caneze's transition into wearing the headscarf, and the initial tentative dating scenes are sweet and funny--the pair have undeniable chemistry together. It's Pattani's show all the way, though.
Sara Perks' blocky set design is simple yet effective--floorboards flip up and transform into a red cushioned shisha bar, and it doubles up as the couple's flat in the second half.
It's far from perfect then, but a likeable enough play with enough charm and humour to sustain it. Above all, what Tamasha do so well is give vibrant voice to younger heroes, making issue-based stories feel accessible to a younger audience who would otherwise feel excluded from strident political theatre.
Blood is a Tamasha and Belgrade Theatre co-production.
www.belgrade.co.uk
www.tamasha.org.uk
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