conceived and directed by Lanre Malaolu
Theatre Royal Stratford East
Writer/Director/Movement Director – Lanre Malaolu
Composer – Jan Brzezinski
Scenographer – Ingrid Hu
Costume Designer – Debbie Duru
Lighting Designer – Ryan Day
Sound Designer – Pär Carlsson
Associate Director – Kirk-Ann Roberts
Assistant Choreographer – Rochea Dyer
Production Dramaturg – Roy Alexander Weise
Dramaturg – Anthony Simpson-Pike
Artist Collaboration – Joseph Ijoyemi
CAST
KIERON / Oliver Alvin-Wilson
DAYO / Nnabiko Ejimofor
ADEYEYE / Tendai Humphrey Sitima
Photography by Camilla Greenwell
Two brothers reunite to honour their sibling’s life at a celebration of remembrance. As they begin to explore letting go, they are forced to confront their shared past and long-standing estrangement.
Following the sell-out run of SAMSKARA (The Yard), this brand-new work by Lanre Malaolu explores the challenge of forgiving yourself for a lifetime of suppressed emotion, while celebrating the profound bond of brotherhood and the resilience that can be found in joy.
The scenography for the production is inspired by the motif of water in the writing and the emphasis of giving space to the actors and lighting. The quality of water, rather than its aesthetics, is interpreted through numerous strands of black fabric stretching across the space and extending from the depth of the stage to the front of the proscenium. Completely invisible at times, these fabric strips help to create a fluid and ethereal space under lighting. A glass casket filled with water as well as simple furniture and fluorescent lights complement this abstract visual language.
Nominated for 2025 Olivier Award for best new production in affiliate theatre.
★★★★
‘A coffin-like box filled with water sits on one side of the stage but is central to Ingrid Hu’s scenography – an unsettling image with hints of purification. Water as a whole is key and comes to seem baptismal.’ (The Guardian)
★★★★
‘Malaolu’s choreography is muscular and exquisitely expressive, complementing the text with joyous dance breaks and sudden snaps into sinuous, slow-motion flailing. Ingrid Hu’s spare set allows plenty of space for all the dramatic movement, and provides a striking focal point with a water-filled glass casket. Occasionally, performers dip their arms inside, bringing up fistfuls of liquid that pours between their fingers or splashes over the stage, creating graceful arcs under Ryan Day’s nimble lights.’ (The Stage)
★★★★
‘Malaolu’s movement expresses emotion – joy, pain, relief – where words fail; enhancing the drama, rather than distracting. Set and staging further complement the movement with a recurring rippling motif extending from drapery across the proscenium arch through to water filling a perspex coffin ever present downstage.’ (The Spy in the Stalls)
