Slamdunk. To 29 May.
Tour
Slamdunk: created by Felix Cross and Benji Reid
Birmingham Repertory Theatre to 28th Feb and Touring
Runs 2hrs 30 mins: one interval
Tickets: 0121 236 4455
Review: Jan Pick 24 February
Basketball, beats and brotherhood in a vibrant production at the Birmingham Rep. It's noisy and you'll have a thoroughly good time.
On the streets of a rundown estate the disaffected youths' only way to stay out of trouble is the local basketball team, the Zeros, coached by Old Man (Charlie Foloronsho). Cory (Kenrick Sandy), a talented player, is persuaded by Franklin (Paradigmz), a former estate boy to leave the no hopers' and join his team, The Invaders. Cory, convinced of his own brilliance, takes his advice, then, unable to take the psychological pressures, cracks up in an important match against the Zeros, his own old team. Thrown out in disgrace by The Invaders, Cory tries to rejoin his former mates, only to be rejected by them as well. The story is a lesson in the importance of team work and brotherhood, and Cory comes a sad cropper much to the disgust of certain sections of the audience.
The musical's mixture of actors and semi-professional basketball players, works well and there are some very good individual performances from Paradigmz, Curtis Flowers (Sissy), Kenrick Sandy, and Doyle Richards (Cray), but the story is stereotypical and rather thin and the characters lack complexity - apart from Franklin, the most interesting of the group.
That the production overcomes these minuses is a testament to the infectious enthusiasm of its cast, the pacy direction of Benji Reid and Felix Cross and the skilful and ingenious choreography. It was great to see this vibrant, noisy, messy production in the main house at the Birmingham REP and to see the predominantly young audience having a thoroughly good time.
Brat: Richie Campbell
Old Man: Charlie Foloronsho
Sissy: Curtis Flowers
Franklin: Paradigmz
Cray: Doyle Richards
Cory: Kenrick Sandy
Ensemble: Aml Ameen
Ryan Cadogan
Zayne Gawanab
Darren Sutherland
Bass Guitar: Neil Charles
Drums: Daniel Crosby
DJ: DJ Drive Thru
Co-directors and Creators: Benji Reid and Felix Cross
Book: Felix Cross
Music: Soweto Kinch
Lyrics: Zena Edwards
Designer: Rachana Jadhay
Lighting Designer: Ian Scott
Sound Designer: Gareth John Owen
Assistant director: Lara Samuels
Assistant Choreographer: Paradigmz
2004-03-01 19:56:46