Review: Misty at Trafalgar Studios

© Helen Murray

Misty, the brainchild of Arinzé Kene, was a sell-out at the Bush Theatre earlier this year. Now transferred to Trafalgar Studios, it’s only the second black British play to appear on a West End stage which, of course, speaks volumes about the state of UK theatre. Kene, however, would probably baulk at this well-overdue accolade: Misty is in no way intended as a ‘black play’.

Having read the quirky playscript it was impossible to imagine how Misty would translate on any stage, let alone a West End platform. It becomes quickly apparent, however, that this is a masterpiece in modern storytelling to be absorbed by more than one of the senses.

Kene is the central performer in Misty so, rather unusually, the writer is at the play’s epicentre: actor, lyricist, comedian, singer, contortionist and balloon artist. He wows the audience with his relaxed interactions and skilled versatility. His impressive physicality is effortless; his stamina phenomenal. He performs through his whole body – even hoicking up his trousers just like the man dem – and his melodic vocals towards the end of the first half, with their incredible ethereal quality, are a mesmeric showstopper.

Misty is essentially an extended performance poetry piece interlaced with narrative and dialogue. Although the form of the poetic lines is sometimes predictable this is really immaterial – it’s in Kene’s delivery that they gain powerful significance, flawlessly integrated with movement, sound and visual spectacle.

The even cleverer bit is how the play runs separate stories – and textual levels – concurrently. First there is Lucas (Kene), a black youth living in a gentrified London borough, who is on the wrong bus at the wrong time. He ends up in a fight with ‘a blood cell’ that leads to serious problems. Very quickly, however, this story is subverted, and it becomes clear Misty is a play within a play.

Arinzé, in the metatextual narrative, is in turmoil about the type of play he should write about his friend Lucas, and his nearest and dearest do little to help. He is vigorously chastised by a schoolgirl (Rene Powell), friends Donna and Raymond (Shiloh Coke and Adrian McLeod), his partner Dimples, and even a faceless producer in some hilarious scenes.

The show is a technical marvel segueing continually from spoken word to brilliant sound clips from Elena Peña and stunning screen projections from Daniel Denton, all of which aptly create the realistic atmosphere of a living-breathing urban sprawl. The talented Coke and McLeod, who naturally double as the live musicians, provide inspired accompaniment which is perfectly in sync with Kene’s performance.

The lines between onstage/offstage, reality/fiction are completely blurred as everyone, even the assistant stage manager, drops in and out the play. Misty’s complex imaginary world is so engaging that for a split second spontaneous ringtones seem like real unscripted interruptions. A translucent curtain divides the stage, cleverly designed by Rajha Shakiry, emphasising the ambiguity over what’s real and what’s in fact turning into a nightmare. The ominous orange balloons infiltrating from all areas are also a fitting metaphor for Arinzé’s torturous writer’s block.

Kene wrote this Russian doll of a play primarily as a social commentary on the changing face of multicultural London. But on another level it is a personal response to his struggle with black stereotypes, diversity drives and ethnicity tick boxes, mainly within the creative industry, and in the play he battles with the constraints of such narrow parameters.

He reflects on what it means to be an artist in London and the lies that are told just to be heard: ‘white lies about black matters’. Kene advocates freedom to write about real life without judgement or classification, and Misty brings this message home loud and clear with its highly original multilayered structure that breaks with all conventional expectations.

Cocoa's verdict: Don't miss Misty as it's an epic show; make sure you get a good seat though so you can take in all the action. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Misty is on at Trafalgar Studios from 7 September–20 October 2018

Running time: 2hrs (including interval)