| Riveting ,modern drama |
At the Other Room |
| The Mountaintop , The Other Room , October 8, 2016 |
In the space of a couple of years The Other Room at Porters has gone from being just another small theatrical space to a major venue. Each production is now seen as an event and " The Mountaintop" is no exception.Written by Katori Hall it failed to be staged on Broadway and had to wait until it won the Olivier Award for Best Play in 2010 following its staging at the Trafalgar Studios in London before heading to America and a production starring Samuel L Jackson. It tells the story of Martin Luther King's last night on earth, at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis. I was expecting a generic stage biography and the joy of "The Moutaintop" is that Katori Hall avoids the obvious pitfalls a lot of playwrights fall into. Obviously, there is some biographical context but this is a warts and all depiction of Martin Luther King, thereby creating a true human being rather than pandering to a myth. The real strength of the play, I feel, is a plot device halfway through which thoroughly changes the dynamic and I won't reveal as it is rare nowadays to be surprised by a real twist nowadays. However good a play is it needs strong performances to make it work and "The Moutaintop" is very well served here indeed. It must be daunting to play a true icon but Mensah Bediako brings Dr King to life for a modern audience. In a two-hander it is vital that no performer dominates proceedings and it is to Alexandria Riley's credit that in a difficult role she more than holds her own and delivers a most astonishing finale. Although it is a shame more people can't watch a show at The Other Room ( it only holds an audience of 44) this does create an intimacy you rarely get in the theatre. Indeed the venue seems to attract an audience that doesn't normally visit the theatre which can only bode well for the future. If newcomers witness shows like this they will wish to return. Having just back from holiday the day before we weren't particularly in the mood for an outing but having been riveted by what we saw we were glad we made the effort. On the negative side I lost my bet that neither performer was American as I doubted British performers could produce such authentic accents. The play runs until the 15th October so head to Porters to see how wrong I was. You won't regret it. photo by Aenne Pallasca |
Reviewed by: David Cox |
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