Not all good stories are about big things. Sometimes epic stakes can be found in the smallest of relationships. Nicholas Spagnoletti’s London Road, Sea Point shows how everyday encounters can change lives.
Rosa is a Jewish grandmother who lives in the same block as Stella, an immigrant from Nigeria. This is the story of their friendship. Spagnoletti makes interesting socio-political points about the changing urban landscape of London Road but essentially this is a very simple and moving story about two women.
Lara Bye has removed all external trappings with a practically bare set, placing the focus on Robyn Scott and Ntombi Makhutshi’s performances. Bye’s direction and the lighting and sound choices are overly pronounced which makes for a rather off-kilter production.
But while both Makhutshi and Scott initially seem to be projecting too much, you soon realise Scott’s performance is simply brilliant. Her Rosa is brash and very odd, with verbal ticks and an almost permanent shake to her body. It’s a fabulous spectacle but beneath these trappings is a performance of intense sensitivity and class.
We see such characters everyday but are often afraid to put them on stage due to accusations of caricature. But here Scott shows us that it is possible to be both eccentric and heartbreakingly real.
http://ed.thestage.co.uk/reviews/1790