Tambo & Bones – Liverpool Playhouse

Seeing other reviews of this production, not to mention the various accolades it has received, my hopes were high as I took my seat in the auditorium. The vibe had a chilled excitement to it, aided by the pre-amble music, but as the clock-ticked on, the audience soon became restless at the late start. However, when the performance did get underway, those feelings were quickly dashed thanks to the gutsy, bold and connected acting onstage.

Clifford Samuel and Daniel Ward delivered a Tambo and Bones that were in-sync, funny, unapologetic and warm to watch. The minstrel show for the first half of Act One was a high-class opening, the inclusion of the puppet a particular personal highlight. But the enthusiasm seemed to dip as the show progressed.

Into the second half of Act 1, yet another technical difficulty broke the spell of the performance, which was not the actor’s fault, but left a bad taste in the audience’s mouths, just at the point when they were truly hooked on the snappy action.

The concert aspect of Act 1 was mostly enjoyable, different, confronting and educational. However, at points I felt like the subject matter was prioritised over stagecraft. Plays are meant to be watched first and read second.

The stripped back nature of the set was an interesting device, which left a lot to the imagination, but did at points mean that we were distracted by meandering stage crew. One word I would use to describe the performance was: unexpected. We really didn’t know what to expect next, having been exposed to T-shirt cannons, puppets and various historical periods.

The concert felt same-y the whole way through and I wanted more light and shade. Moreover, I don’t think the DJ was needed at all, so far removed at the back of the stage. Blood, sweat and tears went into this production, figuratively and in terms of effort. Both speaking actors had a hard job to do and as Act Two came to its conclusion, the pressure got a bit too much. Pace slipped and lines were forgotten leaving the performance feeling a bit slack and wasn’t helped by the raw script nature of the narration.

The introduction of both X-Bots was fascinating, but the power of the speaker’s words was overshadowed by the mystery of the robot’s movement talent. If you asked anyone in the auditorium what was said during the short second Act, they probably wouldn’t be able to tell you much apart from the final repeated phrase.

Such was the challenging nature of the text that the play was utterly unorthodox to watch, which traditional theatre watchers may feel alienated from. The constant use of house lighting was extremely effective as the audience was made to feel accountable for the happenings onstage and the performers could look us straight in the eye.

I loved the original music and the atmosphere that created in the auditorium, but that was so harshly juxtaposed in the silence of the second Act that the audience left feeling awkward. There wasn’t even an opportunity to clap the performers, which I can understand in terms of theory but felt flat in person.

If I was awarding the writing I would give this performance a much higher rating, but I can only award what I saw on stage at the Playhouse which didn’t hit the spot.

Reviewer: Hannah Esnouf

Reviewed: 26th March 2025

North West End UK Rating: