The Jermyn Street Theatre is known for its office winning productions is tucked away in the corner of the prestigious west end boulevard in central London. It has a neat line up of programs like creative associates supporting early career under represented theatre makers and women in Theatre lab.
‘Little Brother’ retraces the steps of adolescent Ibrahima Balde searching for his younger brother in Libya. The book on which the play is based, began with the conversations Ibrahima had with Amets Arzallus Antia, while seeking asylum.
Youness Bouzinab, Blair Gyabaah, Whitney Kehinde, Ivan Oyik and Mo Sesay recreate memorable plethora of characters that young 11-year-old meets. Special mention to the innocence, grief and honesty captured by Blair Gyabaah. In his recreation of wide eyed Ibrahima from ages 11 – 31, he not only captures the awkwardness of a budding teenager but also the early adultification thrust on black men.
The pragmatism and matter of fact manner in which Ibrahima retells the most horrific truths speaks to the abject neglect and deprivation that children face in crises around the world. A stark reminder that childhoods are robbed systematically at the hands of colonial and imperial greed. Guinean singer and percussionist Falle Nioke offers us some respite and connection to the land, by bringing faint atmospheric textures of sound in his music using instruments like the Gongoma, Bolon, Cassi that one has never seen or heard before.
Both Ibrahima Balde and Jermyn Street Theatre are 30 years old. However, the friends they know seem to have made all the difference to the trajectories of their present realities. Ibrahima’s retelling of journey of 1000+ kms uncovers the puppets of the colonizers at various rungs in the ecosystem of deceit, imprisonment and torture of innocent civilians.
The moments of everyday connection, reflection and prayer that Mo Sesay essays with his character of the dad, ‘Mamadou’, are very touching. Perhaps the first time, the calm meditation of praying on the mat following Islamic tradition was seen on this stage. His hopes that education could help break from the shackles of poverty resonate. Personally, recollecting from our collective unconscious what the colonized were encouraged to learn and forget. How we were chided, to ‘show respect’ and ‘go to school’ just to laughably learn how to cross the road.
One silently grieves the disappearance of intangible culture of regional languages and songs, tending to young ones not being a gendered role or make and playing musical instruments or tending to livestock due to the onset of neoliberal capitalism. The costumes miss the vibrancy of the cultures they reflect. While Young Ibrahima does not lose focus or hope despite his arduous journey. We clutch on each glimmer of humanity he encounters on the way. The generosity of strangers supporting him with a job, swollen feet tended to, shared meals in the midst of armed surveillance and constant threat.
As theatres sharpen their pens to showcase the next victim of global displacement, One wonders, if we have the courage to even witness the anger, desperation and heart crushing loss of human decency the most vulnerable are encountering in our own country and others too. With every lifeless body Ibrahim walks past, he is learning to put a stone on his grieving heart. Often leaving one with the dread that we may all turn a blind eye to our neighbours suffering in order to survive.
The timing of Play’s production and news on the visa not being granted gathered a fair amount of Press and wrath on the home office by the general public. However, it’s surprising that the play made no attempt to raise awareness of the brave Nigerians and knocked consistently on the doors of Justice. Shell is in court refusing to pay up for the Nigerian Oil spills from the last decade. It shows the absolute callous attitude and action survivors of trauma have to face in retelling their story to integrate.
The lighting and sound recreating the long turmoil of a refugee finding home and traversing various homes. Natalie Johnson minimalist set choices helped move the script forward, transforming the long ending road our protagonist travels. To more regional language stories taking centre stage and leading to reflection and policy change is all one hopes. Wishing this play all success.
Playing: 15th May to 21st June, https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/little-brother/
Reviewer: Anisha Pucadyil
Reviewed: 24th May 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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