58 On Tour to 6 November.

58: Philippe Cherbonnier
YELLOW EARTH at Birmingham Rep, The Door then tour to 6 November 2004
Review: Rod Dungate, 27 October
Runs: 1h 10m

Interesting and important topic; but the play's earnestness gets in the way of its flowCherbonnier's play handles the appalling tragedy of 58 Chinese immigrants who suffocated to death trying to make their way to the UK. It's an important topic to be written about, these deaths are an indictment of ourselves as a world community. Yet, while I sense a passion that lies behind the creation of the play I don't feel any passion coming from the play. Odd . . . but it felt curiously flat and disjointed.

Perhaps this is right that the play's meant to be a disinterested and dispassionate look at the circumstances that led up to the tragedy. But then there are scenes in the play that are clearly meant to have an emotional centre to them the calling up and releasing of the spirits at the end for instance. This is potentially a lovely scene, but let down by its lack of depth and time to breathe.

Cherbonnier overloads his play with arguments to the detriment of the play's flow. Kate is a police officer investigating the deaths of the Chinese people she has three bodies still unidentified. Terry-Ann Brumby portrays the character well Kate is no angel, but a good working police officer. Cherbonnier gives her a layabout husband who lives in Hull. The character may represent part of Cherbonnier's argument but does little to further the play. Endless phone calls between Kate and her husband hold up the action to little effect and the play loses focus despite Tim McCluskey's engagingly vigorous performance.

Cherbonnier strives for a fluid action, a play that moves between an office in Dover, China, the inside of the lorry. David K S Tse's direction and Sigyn Stenqvist's solid office set work against the writer's intentions; further disrupting the play's flow.

A beautifully poised performance from Nina Kwok as Zhaodi, a Home Office interpreter on loan to Dover.

Terri-Ann Brumby: Kate
Tim McCluskey: Dave/ Chen Min
Nina Kwok: Zhoadi
Liz Sutherland: Xiu Xiu/ Meng Xing
Bronwyn Skinner-Lim: Granny/ Lan

Director: David K S Tse
Set and Costume Designer: Sigyn Stenqvist
Lighting Designer: Douglas Kuhrt
Videomaker: Shan Pui Ng
Sound Designer: Roger Douek
Movement Consultant: Caroline Parker

2004-10-28 20:50:50