Theatre Review: Why I Don’t Hate White People
Article published: Friday, March 26th 2010
The magnetic Lemn Sissay takes his audience on a journey that twists, turns and tramps across issues of race, political correctness and identity. In this solo show, the poet’s first for two years, Sissay assumes different characters so seamlessly that, at times, it feel as though there is a full cast on stage.
The show is based upon Sissay’s own experiences growing up as the only black person in a totally white Lancashire town. Adopted at a young age and then given up to the care system again at the age of eleven by his God-fearing foster family, the poet went on to stay at five care homes in seven years. Isolated and searching for an identity without any family as reference points, Sissay’s self-exploration centred upon his race.
The show reflects these years of searching and is jam-packed with witty and cringe-worthy observations and impersonations of British life. Sissay’s characters are spot-on, from the macho lager-lout who props up the bar proclaiming, “If there’s one thing I don’t want to talk about it’s racism” to the nosey old-lady on the bus pointedly asking, “…and where are you from?”
Sissay’s poetic use of language is engaging and the subject matter often whirls off on unexpected but pleasing tangents. The performance style is dramatic yet his energetic bounds across the stage, though appropriate to the dialogue, occasionally reminded me of an over-keen teacher at a school drama workshop. At times, it was clear Sissay was struggling, stumbling over words and seeming slightly distracted. Though the language is disjointed by nature, his mistakes were noticeable, though not disastrous. He has a truly creative mind and is so at home on the stage that he managed to just get away with any fumbles. The question and answer session after the show was a much-needed round-up to the performance and gave some interesting background to his story. And fair play to Sissay, who wholeheartedly admitted and apologised for the mistakes he made, he even offered to pay for twenty tickets to the next evening’s show.
After, a friend asked me, “Does Lemn say anything new about race?” Well, no. But then again he never said he was going to. Sissay, as the title of the piece suggests, simply offers up a personal account of a life spent tackling race and the self. Ultimately, the show is light-hearted and peppered with humorous moments but seems to lack a certain, expected depth.
Rachel Jackson
Why I Don’t Hate White People played at Contact Theatre, 18 – 20 March 2010.
More: Culture, Manchester, Stage
Comments
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This is a very true review. I do not look for reviews that laud me but ones that tell the truth as the reviewer sees it. And she saw it.
Comment by Lemn Sissay on March 26, 2010 at 12:45 pm -
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