THE DEVIL HAS QUENTIN'S HEART: Touring

Breaking Cycles / Benji Reid: The Devil Has Quentin’s Heart
Touring
Runs 1h 15m, no interval
Review: 27.11.09, Birmingham Rep, The Door

An old tale powerfully retold.

Benji Reid demonstrates the three qualities inherent in this kind of solo performance art cum storytelling work – imagination, intensity and self-indulgence.

Let’s take the last first. I say: Good for you Benji! Let’s put up with the bits that are too long or don’t work; that’s what makes work exciting – and without the indulgence we’ll lose the intensity and the imagination. Reid follow a talented line going as far back (in my theatre going adulthood) to the great performer Lindsay Kemp. So that’s got that out the way.

Benji Reid tells us the story of Quentin Forrest, a black young man who gives his heart to the devil in order to buy success and wealth. It’s an old story but given new immediacy in Reid’s powerful telling. It’s impossible to pull apart Benji’s experience as a black man and Quentin’s experience as a black financier in a predominantly white New York financial world. We cannot see whether Reid or Forrest is trying to come to terms with his relationship with a caring but dangerously overbearing father (whose portrait looms over the stage action.) Hence the intensity of the piece.

Reid is physically agile and uses movement to both disturbing and comic effect – and is at home with both. He takes his time unfolding his story but his work is detailed. It’s theatrical too, specially as the Devil (how can a lighting effect change Reid’s face so much?!) feels for Quentin’s heart?

All is accompanied by an atmospheric and eclectic soundscape. Now my only serious moan; surely it wouldn’t be too much to hand out a single A4 sheet letting us know who is doing with whom? So I can’t credit the excellent sound work. Pity.

2009-11-28 15:45:51