Sidney Poitier was one of the greats of Hollywood, whose influence went well beyond the world of film. The tributes to him at the time of his death in 2022, reproduced in the programme, demonstrate this. On transfer from the Kiln Theatre, this play deals with events early in Poitier’s life, when he was on the verge of a major breakthrough into the world of film. He came to the attention of McCarthy’s Un-American Activities Committee and was put under extreme pressure to sign a document implicating some of his friends as communists and repudiating his sincerely held views on the civil rights movement. This play is thus essentially about the conflict which he personally faced at this crucial juncture in his professional life but also reflects on the malign influence of the political thought-police, which has worryingly contemporary relevance.
The acting by the three actors over the 90 minutes of the play was superb. Stanley Townsend played the overbearing character of Parks the media lawyer. I don’t think he was a real character. I hope not anyway. He was portrayed as bullying, self-satisfied, cynical, manipulative and foul mouthed. Townsend made the most of the part and had many of the humorous lines, although many of them were rather lavatorial in nature. Ivanno Jeremiah gave a great performance as Poitier, initially confident and self-assured as a black man in a white world but showed his inner conflict as the pressure to sign increased. Oliver Johnson had the unenviable role of Bobby, the man in the middle, a script writer who could not afford to offend Parks but also wanted to support his friend.
The set designed by Frankie Bradshaw was an excellent cutaway of Park’s office, slightly offset, with mid-1950s furniture and a very well stocked drinks cabinet. The direction by Amit Sharma was assured and the movement never felt forced.
The script by Ryan Calais Cameron was tight, and after a slow start became gripping. However, the conflicts between the characters were rather obvious, and the outcome predictable.
Interestingly, as Poitier acknowledged in a very moving audio clip of his address to the Royal Academy in 2002, played at the end of the play, the real heroes of this story were not so much the actors but the film directors and studio managers, who stood up to the pervasive forces of McCarthyism and continued to maintain the values which they sincerely held.
Retrograde is playing at the Appollo theatre until 14th June. Tickets are available from https://nimaxtheatres.com/shows/retrograde
Reviewer: Paul Ackroyd
Reviewed: 19th March 2025
North West End UK Rating:
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