‘No one listens to the truth unless it is spoken in jest’.

Augustus (ABC) Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer, and satirist from Sierra Leone. He dreamt of becoming the greatest writer in the British Empire, embarking on a journey from his native country to Edwardian London in 1904. His experiences in London were largely disappointing, he was excluded from Lincoln’s Inn, and he experienced financial and romantic ruin, he wrote about his experiences in books.

In Five Years With The White Man, Joseph Akubeze portrays Merriman-Labor, amongst other characters within this one-man show. The script by Eloka Obi and Sam Boyer, takes us on Merriman-Labor’s journey, with some surprises along the way. After the first scene, Akubeze breaks character and the fourth wall, introducing himself as Dumebi Okafor, and describing that this is also his story of five years with the white man, his partner Alfred was white and spent a great deal of time researching the show’s subject, this show is a way to honour Alfred’s memory, who passed away to prostate cancer. Both stories have parallels of a gay black man’s experience, one in Edwardian London and one in 21st Century London.

This first character break is unexpected, with the story soon continuing. The issue is that we don’t have enough time to tackle either of the stories, which in turn creates quite a frustratingly paced show, as just as we get to know Merriman-Labor, and then the scene is over. The sound and lighting design punctuate the performance, providing cues to display which story we are in, which helps the audience to differentiate.

Akubeze transforms, morphing into a different character by the second, the moments where he is speaking to the audience directly have a purposefully unrehearsed, casual air to the delivery, which is refreshing, these moments were the most engaging and captivating. His performance is charismatic, with high energy throughout, he provides a physicality to his performance which is exciting to watch.

The script requires some edits as not all jokes land as intended, and due to the switches back and forth between stories, the show isn’t captivating throughout, in fact, I’m sure some audience members were lost at times due to this back and forth in storylines. But the show’s concept is strong and has potential, plus Akubeze’s performance is one you’ll remember.

Read all of Amy’s review here

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical New Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Review Revival Richmond Theatre Round Up Royal Court Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End

• 
  A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
  by Ellie Preston
  Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
• 
  A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
  by Tom Carrao
  The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
• 
  PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
  by Amy Rye
  Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
• 
  GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
  by George Rennie
  Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, High Tide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
• 
  CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH
  by Jenny Skuse
  Drum roll please…(Cue a literal drum rolling across the stage.) The Lyric pantomime is one of traditions with the return of many well-loved jokes and skits. Costumes and sets are all made at the Lyric itself by Good Teeth, with set pieces being reused year on year. This year Cinderella gets the Hammersmith makeover, with some success. The costuming is fun and vibrant, with the ugly stepsisters’ equine pyjamas and hoop-skirted ball gowns giving all the wrong kinds of extra you need for those characters. Cinderella’s on stage dress transformation is magical and really well-timed. The Dame, Lady Jelly-Bottom’s, outfits … More CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH