A standing ovation on press night is not a common feature in London’s theatre
world. But it seemed like the very least the audience at Trafalgar Studios could
do after two hours of some of the most inventive and exhaustive piece of theatre-
making seen on the capital’s stage in 2018. “Misty” by Arinze Kene is the play
people implore one another to see certain of an enjoyable, and even riveting
night in the theater.
It is possible to be convinced of its singular vision of London and exceptional
execution but remain in doubt as to exactly what type of play it is. In the
program notes, it is described as an “inventive blend of gig theatre, spoken word,
live art and direct address”. But ask five different people, who have seen it, what
the play is and one is likely to get as many interpretations.
Written and performed by Arinze Kene, “Misty” is primarily about a playwright
called “Arinze” and his struggles to write and stage a play about gentrification in
London. Directed by Omar Elerian, the play had a sold out run when it opened at
the Bush Theater in March this year and has transferred to Trafalgar Studios, in
the west end, for a six week run beginning on September 22nd.
Born in Lagos and raised in London, “Misty” is the first play Kene has has written
and in which he features. His credits as a writer include five plays the first of
which “Estate Walls” (Oval Theatre, 2010) earned him the award for the “most
promising playwright” at the Off West End Theatre Awards. His most recent roles
on stage are as Sam Cooke in “One Night In Miami” (Donmar Warehouse, 2016)
and as “Joe Scott” in “Girl From The North Country” (Old Vic, 2017). For his roleas “Ade” in “The Pass” (Toledo Productions, 2016) he was awarded the “best
supporting actor” at the Evening Standard Awards.
Both Kene and Elerain have rendered an arresting account of contemporary
London that depicts, with acuity, the material and existential life of a black
Londoner, but also the eternal one of an artistic intentions versus competing
public expectations. Kene cites Fellini’s “8 ½” (Ceniriz/Francinex, 1963) as an
inspiration but strong thematic and structural resemblances are also made with
Percival Everett’s “Erasure” (Faber & Faber, 2003) and Nathaniel Martello-White’s
“Blackta” (Young Vic, 2012) – and just about every meta-play or meta-fiction in
which the ideas of selfhood and public duty aim to co-exist.
This is exemplified in a scene in Act One between “Arinze” and his “producer”
whose voice is culled from film dialogues by Morgan Freeman. Whether self-
conscious or thoughtful,
the frustrated writer makes a telling admission: “this thing is going to have my
name on it and if people think I’m out here churning out nigga plays and straight
up defecating on our community, that’s not a very good look for me”.
“Arinze’s” heightened self-awareness becomes that of the play and multiplies it.
He is not the naive writer who will be surprised when accused of writing himself
into the “nigga cannon”, but one who is in full knowledge of the ire it would bring
and the cliche he will become. A play which critiques the play within it for being
an “urban safari jungle shit” will defang any accusations of the play itself being
an “urban safari jungle shit” – or any criticism of it for that matter.
“It does make it hard to critique” agrees Kene who could only be interviewed by
phone because of tight writing and performance schedules, though he insists thathe does not read the reviews, but must surely have any strong or unfavourable
opinions in London press passed on by acquaintances.
Being impregnable to criticism shifts the conversations about “Misty” to being
about just how sophisticatedly it has been constructed (and performed). Tranches
of texts are written in verse which “Arinze” raps with dexterity and the few
moments when he has to sing, he belts with searing soulfulness that betrays his
early days gigging as a leader in a jazz band. Indeed a tracklist of each musical
composition is provided in the play text with some denoted as “freestyles” in the
manner of a rap album or mixtape all of which is efficiently directed by Elerian
who revealed more about his and Arinze’s process in the program notes: “we
often spoke about it in the way you create a concept album, having creative
sessions and running different ideas until we consolidate some thoughts and
images and then start layering different elements on top of each other”.
Elsewhere there’s genetic reconstitution of a sort in Act Two, Scene Six where
“Arinze” repeats the words “geh geh” to the beat of him stamping on the floor
twice:
“I’m at an arty farty cafe
Geh-geh
I told Tracy to meet me there
Geh-geh”
The call and response goes on for five pages and makes up the entirety of the
scene. If uninformed, an audience member might enjoy the pulsing rhythm that
builds up and the humor in how seriously flustered “Arinze” is by pretentious
hipsters (“you can’t have a seperate menu for tea, bro”).Another ear will recognise that “geh-geh” is a Nigerianism that mimics the bass
drum or plonking piano used for dramatic tension in films, and one which is heard
at the start of a Netflix show. And the feet-stomp is reminiscent of American
negro spirituals as depicted, in the public consciousness, in films about the
atlantic slave trade. Linked by call and response, which is integral in African
music, Kene has created a strong musical symbology from the Nigerian and
African-American heritages.
It is also in this scene that the continuing gentrification in London is portrayed in
elemental form. There’s the empty elegance of a cheese and ham sandwich being
referred to as croque and costs £11. As well as tea, there’s a seperate menu for
coffee.
This October Kene will star in a feature length musical for Netflix titled “Been So
Long” alongside Michaela Coel, who like himself is British-Nigerian and is the
creator and star of hit-comedy Chewing Gum (Channel 4, UK). More film and
stage roles will follow but Kene is focused on his writing.
It is clear that “Misty” is a story that is close to his heart, not least in the way it
charts an intense version of his growing up in Hackney. He has also worked
himself into great body shape for it which brings real physicality to the two hour
performance, though he looked just as impressive in “The Pass”. By all counts,
“Misty” is the exhausting summation of a life’s work, up till date.
“I write about things that are important to me” says Kene who is said to have
taken five years to write and produce “Misty”. Asked what themes or heights he
aims to tackle or reach in his writing, his answer is simple: “there will always be
something to write about”.