UK Drill Project
Barbican Pit

FROM the furore surrounding the emergence of NWA (Niggaz Wit Attitudes) and gangsta rap in the mid ’90s to the effective banning of grime nights under Met Police 696 risk assessment forms here in Britain, the repressive criminalisation of rap music is nothing new.

But perhaps it has never been as extreme as the ongoing clampdown on drill music, which is explored with high octane, comic-book energy in HighRise Entertainment’s latest production.

The 079 crew arrive on stage filming a video for their latest track Where’s Your Head At?, referring to the prospective decapitation of a rival Red Brick crew member, which garners one million views on YouTube. It also lands TJ, a sensitive soul, miles away from his stage persona and on remand for murder.
 
After a lumbering start, we are eventually treated to an unruly rollercoaster of vignettes telling TJ’s story, which is indicative of many similar real-life experiences, and The UK Drill Project proves to be an insightful exploration of an unexplored world and its many contradictions.
 
Writer and director Dominic Garfield does not hold back. The responsibility for the violence inherent in the music is squarely laid at the altar of Tory austerity, the poverty it has inflicted and the decimating cuts made to youth services.

When I get talking to one of the performers in the pre-show exhibition, he asks me “Who are the real criminals?” – a question which goes to the heart of this production.
 
Frustratingly, these questions are often obscured by the overuse of technology. Voiceover segments, unnecessary use of microphones and live video often prevent the on-stage action really landing.
 
The same cannot be said for the live music which has an unrelenting authenticity, as each character expresses themselves through their lyrics on the centre-stage platform.

Musical director Kwame “KZ” Kwei-Armah Jr and composer Skanda Sabbagh create a pulsating backdrop complimented by Simisola Majekodunmi’s inventive lighting.
 
The evening comes to a sombre conclusion when the brother of a murder victim is asked to identify his body. The monologue, delivered with resigned devastation by the stand-out Che Gordon, reflects the deep personal trauma inflicted by an all-too-common event and asks, “When will it end?” One thing is certain, a new round of austerity will do nothing to help.