“Evil-wise, apologetically provocative, impossible to forget. Tambo & Bones shake you to your core and ask all questions.”
If you are easily rattling with strong language, get yourself in the way with your braces. In the first hour alone, the word “n*gga” is fired almost incredibly frequently. No, it is not hidden as an “n word” in up hemistic. It’s the front and center. But here it is: it’s not free. In Tambo & Bones, all syllables are intentional. The show is an inflammatory theatre fire bomb that is robbed with a fierce smile and a Zero apology.
Dave Harris won’t give you traditional stories. Instead, he delivers a ferocious original mashup that inflates between satire, concerts and dystopia at once. It is a burning breakdown of black identity and capitalism, engulfed in the whirlwind of mixed chaos that surrounds the fourth wall.
The power of this play lies in its ability to be confused. When you think you’ve found a solid ground, it turns the story upside down and upsets you. Harris’ writing is at odds in the best ways that may require audiences to stare directly at the uneasy intersection of race, performance and profits.
The massive credits come from the entire cast (these robot performers were equal parts of hilarious and unsettling), and especially praise Daniel Ward for recreating his role as a bone. He is magnetic, loud and funny, sly, razor sharp. Alongside him, Clifford Samuel’s Tambo brings grounded strength and leads anger to something focused and powerful. Together, they spark each other in a rhythm that drives the entire production.
Coach Matthew Shea confidently adjusts this mixed chaos to change what appears to be cohesive. The set and costume design by Sadeysa Greenaway-Bailey and Ultz is visually punchy, loud, surreal and unforgettable.
Tambo & Bones are not here to comfort you. It is bold, rude and often deeply calm. But it’s also evilly clever, funny, and packed with moments that bother you. It remains and demands a reflection all the time after it’s finished. A fearless play that is likely to be seeking cult acclaim is at risk for you.
It will be shown in Stratford East until May 10th, then Leeds Playhouse.
Source: Pride Magazine – www.pridemagazine.com
