Review: Choir Boy, Bristol Old Vic – ‘The entire cast are a joy to behold’

For her debut as new artistic director of the Bristol Old Vic Nancy Medina chose Choir Boy as a statement piece. It is essentially a play-with-music about who we are and how we are shaped into that identity by history and our reaction to it. In many ways it is a curious choice for a Bristol audience.

Although there are strong themes with which to find resonance, including sexuality, respect and race, it is an essentially American story about a gospel choir at an elite all boys’ school. So, does it work?

Plays about predominantly black men are rare, but rarer still are plays about black men as distinct complex individuals, given the space to express their masculinity along with their vulnerability.

Khalid Daley as JR

In a traditional school assembly room, complete with deep red drapes over the back of the stage, we meet the choir of young men in the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys.

Foremost is chief soloist, Pharus (Terique Jarrett). He is singing like an angel and loving every minute of it to spellbind the audience and hold his position at the front of the choir. However, when a fellow student taunts him with homophobic and racist slurs, he falters.

(l-r) Michael Ahomka-Lindsay as David, Terique Jarrett as Pharus, Jyuddah Jaymes as AJ

Mining his own history of being bullied, the play’s writer Tarell Alvin McCraney – also behind the Academy Award-winning Moonlight – poses a key question: how do you respond, especially if you are a young, black, queer man in such an environment?

What is most impressive is that the characters are allowed to grow and become real. There is Bobby (Alastair Nwachukwu) the nephew of the headmaster with a secret vulnerability at home, Junior (Khalid Daley), an almost comically gauche boy in thrall to Bobby, David (Michael Ahomka-Lindsay) the quietest boy destined for the Ministry, and AJ (Jyuddah Jaymes) who is outwardly effervescent but the most mature of all.

(l-r) Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton, Alistair Nwachukwu as Bobby, Khalid Daley as Junior, Michael Ahomka-Lindsay as David

Each one is a fully realistic, three-dimensional character only seen in the best writing, direction, and performance. As the boys navigate a series of growing pains, they finally emerge as brothers, even if they are the sort of brothers who occasionally fight with each other.

Martin Turner’s appearance as Mr Pendleton, the teacher brought in out of retirement to help push the boys’ critical thinking is a bit of a shock. As the token white male, he could have been a stereotype but has the presence and energy to convey a lot by saying little.

Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton

And the cast is completed by Daon Broni as the Headmaster, who allows the boys to openly challenge him as that is the ‘Drew Way’. He hesitates when asked whether he would rather be feared or respected before answering as we know he must.

Backed by an effective and unfussy set whose transition in the second frames a nice change of pace, Choir Boy is enthused with a flow of flawlessly performed soul-stirring a cappella gospel hymns and spirituals which cause the audience either to drop silent or whoop in joy.

(l-r) Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow and Terique Jarrett as Pharus

Huge credit must go to musical director Femin Temowo. A special mention must also be made to the work of the voice coach, Aundrea Fudge. Each one of the actors’ vocalisations is wondrous, whether in speech or song.

Though the entire cast are a joy to behold, Jarret is simply superb as Pharus. His flamboyance, combined with a steely awareness of who he is and what he is capable of, are effortless,

(l-r) Terique Jarrett, Michael Ahomka-Lindsay, Khalid Daley, Alistair Nwachukwu, Jyuddah Jaymes

McCraney has said that the play is a call for us to develop tolerance and compassion in the face of the tradition.

The standing ovation that Choir Boy received on press night demonstrated that this production has not failed in that goal, and that Nancy Medina’s choice to open with this show was completely the right one.

Ensemble in Choir Boy

Choir Boy is at Bristol Old Vic from October 12-November 11. Tickets are available at www.bristololdvic.org.uk.

All photos: Camilla Greenwell

Read more: ‘It stops you in your tracks’: actors being ‘Choir Boy’ rehearsals at Bristol Old Vic

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