The Tenant's Republic by Kwami-Teye Canacoo. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, London SE4 until 18 October 2025, 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russsell.

Photo Credit: Marcia Santos.

The Tenant's Republic by Kwami-Teye Canacoo. The Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, London SE4 until 18 October 2025,

 4☆☆☆☆. Review: William Russsell.

“Satire with bite.”

Passport for Pimlico hasto be the inspiration for this tale of how Don, played with zest by Andrew Atha, a small slovenly bundle of Mickey Rooney type energy, the thirty something tenant of a neglected flat gets his revenge on his landlord and secures his own future. He declares it is an independent republic called Dondonia and applies for membership of the European Community helped by his lawyer sister Finn and eventually Tina, the estate agent who handles the flat for the absentee landlord. He also enlists the aid of Omar, the man upstairs played by Aaron Garland displaying a nice line in willing stupidity. Matt Ackerman plays all the other roles, including the British Prime Minister and best of all a vain television reporter covering the story. Not all the cast deliver their lines with the clarity necessary and Andrew Atha is so busy being absolutely impossible as Don, who is still relying on parental bail outs, that at times one does want to take him aside and tell him to calm down because he really is providing the necessary manic centre to the tale and his performance needs no more top going over. Canaco has written a serious satire about the plague of disreputable landlords affecting London who get regularly exposed on television but survive despite the disclosures of the conditions their properties are in. But maybe as director he has sold the satire short and played up the comedy too much. Don's problem is he wants to be a DJ but his decks are ruined, the boiler is burst, the flat is leaking, although quite from where is not clear as it  is not on the top floor, and the rent has been put up. He cannot pay. His lawyer sister, nicely done by Amy Beckett, comes to his aid with some good advice after his inspiration about independence, while Tina, who gets sacked because she has failed to get him out of the flat – a cleverly modulated performance by Anna Pritchard-Howarth as she changes from wage slave to human being – also comes to his help. It runs for 85 minutes and really does outstay its welcome by about ten minutes but still deserves its stars as not only is it very funny but buried beneath the goings on is a serious core about how bad some landlords are. The play deserves a future elsewhere after some reflection on how it has worked at the Jack.

Cast

Andrew Atha – Don

Amy Beckett – Finn

Aaron Garland – Omar

Anna Pritchard-Howarth – Tina

Matt Ackermann – all other roles

Creatives

Director – Kwami-Teye Canacoo

Composer – Georgia Johnston

Lighting and Sound Operator – Emma Kerr