A Ridiculous Darkness Review: Heart of Satire

In the words of Aubrey “Drake” Graham; ‘ You can’t listen to me talk and go tell my story’. Well, this very thing has happened for the last two centuries…at least! Men, mainly white men, have seen it fit to travel the “strange dark world” in the name of empire, faith, civilisation et al., and tell the stories of those they encounter. Or, to tell their own story, having “natives” be nothing but background characters, if they appear at all. “A Ridiculous Darkness” flips this script, in every conceivable way possible, to tear apart this dominant narrative.

Written in 2014 by German playwright Wolfram Lotz, “A Ridiculous Darkness” is a direct response to the movie Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppolla and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Having a knowledge of the material this play is taking down is not a necessity to enjoying this piece. Full of hilarity, frantic action and incredible performances, this production has more than enough to keep audiences entertained. The tight space, thrust staging and actors’ interactions with the audience gives an intimate feel throughout, engaging you from start to finish. But perhaps more importantly, the wider point this play is making, the whole reason it exists, never gets lost. The optics of Black femmes playing white men, nearly always for laughs, drives home over and over again a wider message.

Full of hilarity, frantic action and incredible performances

I said you do not need to know the source material for this play. Now, there are many people who, based solely on subject matter, would love this show. But on thing important to note is that this play is, from start to finish, a farce. I mean that not as an insult. I am talking about the theatrical style, one where narratives making sense, gaping plot-holes and at times confusing events are par for the course. As a play that seeks to poke fun at colonial narratives, this stylistic choice makes sense. But from my personal experience, it is not for everyone.

That being said (and acknowledging it is one man’s view) I can say that this is an incredibly well executed production. The writing is consistently hilarious and the four person cast are fantastic. Particular praise for Shannon Hayes and Seraphina Beh. Both take on physically demanding roles seeing them running, jumping and crawling all over the stage. Both go through an insane range of emotions and both deliver the piece’s most challenging parts extremely well. Worthy praise must also be given to Movement Director Seke Chimutengwende.

This play does take you to some crazy places, on purpose. And it is a journey worth going on. For those wanting something other than a straightforward dramatic narrative, or for fans of more surrealist art, this is for you. Ultimately this is a clever, well performed, well produced and well directed play that makes a serious point through a vehicle of absurdity.

All photos credits to Helen Murray.

A Ridiculous Darkness plays at The Gate Theatre until Saturday 23rd March