Following its world premiere in Los Angeles in 2023, June Carryl’s Blue won a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It’s not hard to see why. It’s March 2021, the world is emerging from the lockdowns of the pandemic and America is reeling from the tumultuous events that followed the 2020 Presidential election and the storming of the Capitol. When a young black motorist is shot dead by Police Officer Boyd Sully during what should have been a routine traffic stop, Detective LaRhonda Parker is called in to investigate. Parker and Sully are old friends, and Sully was also the partner of her now-retired police officer husband. As they banter about old times and start to delve into the events around the killing, shocking truths are gradually revealed that cause a conflicted Parker to question whether she should “protect the blue” or uphold her oath to “protect and serve”. Should she faithfully investigate and report the truth of the shooting, risking the destruction of her marriage and her career? Or does she cover it up and betray her principles?
Carryl’s award-winning two-hander is a powerful and hard-hitting exploration of issues and attitudes about race, especially as highlighted in the unconscious and conscious bias of police officers. She writes with a searing authenticity and without a superfluous word. The performances of Carryl as Parker and John Colella as Sully are a true masterclass of acting talent, both totally convincing in every word and interaction. Carla Goodman’s bare set – a table with two chairs, grey concrete block walls, a couple of one-way mirrors and a water cooler – feels ever more oppressive as Parker and Sully’s chat about their friendship starts to focus on the case and turns into an interrogation. This is a thought-provoking piece, sparingly presented, and totally award-worthy.
Blue runs at the Seven Dials Playhouse until 30th March. Tickets are on sale at: https://www.sevendialsplayhouse.co.uk/shows/blue
Reviewer: Carole Gordon
Reviewed: 8th March 2024
North West End UK Rating: