Review: A shave and a haircut — and bonding time for African-heritage men in Barber Shop Chronicles
One day. Six cities. A thousand stories. Barber Shop Chronicles is an equally funny, joyous, and poignant new play by Nigerian playwright and poet Inua Ellams that leaps from a barber shop in Londonto Johannesburg, to Harare, to Kampala, Lagos, and Accra exploring the African immigration experience.
"A Fuel, National Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-production, the work arrives at the Freud Playhouse in this Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA presentation with enthusiastic reviews from abroad. But the nearly two-hour, intermission-less play is frustratingly diffuse and as a result often uninvolving.
Tuwaine Barrett, left, shares a tale with Anthony Ofoegbu in "The Barber Shop Chronicles," playing at the Freud Playhouse at UCLA. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) The energy of the cast, under the direction of Bijan Sheibani, is unflagging. The lively stage presentation suggests an impromptu jam session or block party that’s moved indoors because of rain.
A globe spins from above, keeping Africa in view. Chairs on casters make for quick transitions among barbershops, which have their own attention-grabbing signs. Hip-hop erupts between scenes, inviting the actors to groove together in a physical language that links continents."— Charles McNulty, October 19, 2018
This post is an excerpt. Read the full article on the Los Angeles Times website.
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