In a small upstairs theatre, we meet a man- Tunde and he’s about to turn 30. We are welcomed in by him in the small corners of his room, filled with cardboard boxes and an atmosphere consumed with music. We begin as he begins his first therapy session which he thought right to attend so he can start going to the gym again, wanting to look good for his upcoming birthday. However, through the excessive laughter and narration of his running thoughts during these sessions, we hear and see him break down into something a lot more fragile.
Within this time, we watch Tunde bounce back and forth through stability and never-ending deep waters, learning a lot more about what he has lost in avoiding the most vulnerable parts of himself. Ifeyinwa Frederick (the writer) has an incredible ability to pull us right in with a one-line epiphany, which many times seemed to spin the audience into a bit of a whirlwind of realisation.
This writing was paired very beautifully with Joseph Black’s intelligent and truly real performance of this character. It was complex, funny, heart-warming and even more heart-breaking to watch a person we all simultaneously love over an hour and a half turn into themselves so harshly that we can only watch them erupt. I think we all felt somewhat of a ghost arm reaching out to this character, and even more importantly teaches us to reach out to the people we see as this character.
I am so blessed to have watched this play and I believe Ifeyinwa Fredrick re-tells a story but highlights the parts many seem to miss out, the parts that are arguably the most important to see. This piece made me think a lot but also smile and laugh, it made me feel safe and equally balancing on the edge of a cliff and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
Sessions plays until the 4th December at Soho Theatre, https://sohotheatre.com/shows/sessions/
Reviewer: Alice Rose
Reviewed: 12th November 2021
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★