Knife on the Table
Cockpit Theatre, London

THIS new play by Jonathan Brown looks at the thorny issue of knife crime through the lens of a group of young south Londoners caught up in a frightening cycle of drug and gang-related violence.

With nothing more than a bare stage and the menacing accompaniment of percussionist Fred Hills on drums, the Something Underground company successfully conjures up an atmosphere of fear and helplessness as the action leads depressingly towards a violent conclusion.

The cast is led by Brown himself as Angel, a sinister gang leader from whose malign intentions all chaos ensues, while the main centre of attention is the relationship between two teenagers, Flint (Jez Davess-Humphrey), a good boy turned bad, and his one-time girlfriend, the ambitious Book (Moyosola Olashore), who’s desperately trying to escape from the maelstrom around her.

Olashore delivers an impressively thought-through and superbly assured stage debut as the “sensible one,” trying to keep a close eye on her school studies as Flint is increasingly dragged into Angel’s destructive orbit. Definitely one to watch, she’s well supported by Davess-Humphrey as her occasionally humorous foil, while the rest of the eight-strong cast put in solid performances that cope with the wide emotional ranges demanded of them.

The decision to use Hills and his drum kit is a masterstroke: his bass pedal work, rimshots and cymbal clashes drive a threatening, fearful undertone across the proceedings.

By contrast, Brown’s device of using a number of cross-conversations is much less successful — and often downright annoying. Having two and sometimes three groups of people talking on stage simultaneously is difficult to pull off, and there needs to be a good reason for doing it, which in this case seems to be absent.

Although there’s a strong narrative that holds the interest over two hours, some elements of the story are rather unconvincing, including the nature of Book’s reaction to the play’s bloody end.

However, there’s a lot to commend the play and while it offers only an opaque picture of why knife crime exists, it does at least air some of the complex issues that feed into it.

What’s more, while it’s running, Something Underground is offering knife crime prevention sessions in association with the Ben Kinsella Trust — in addition to more general free workshops for 10 to 15-year-olds provided by actors, musicians and dancers.

All in all, then, a worthwhile venture that’s trying to make a difference — not just on stage but off it, too.
 
Runs until October 26. Box office: (020) 7258-2925, thecockpit.org.uk.