Belgrade Theatre – until 25 January 2020
Then touring
Guest reviewer: Jane Howard, Behind the Arras
The B2 stage at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has an excellent reputation, and Crongton Knights is up there with the best, for the range and breadth, depth and richness of drama.
I expected a piece about gang violence and, while violence is on the agenda, it only provides a backdrop. The characters are brilliantly and individually developed, the acting superb, fear palpable, music gorgeous, and humour and charm was, for me, such a bonus.
The story centres on Venetia (Aimee Powell – great voice, great dancer) whose ex-boyfriend Sergio has stolen her phone together with dodgy pictures. To retrieve means going into the Notre Dame estate, a rival gang’s territory where the wonderful Olisa Odele who plays McKay is in particular danger because his brother Festus (Simi Egbejumi-David) is a wanted man.
As the group, the newly named Crongton Knights, set off together by bus to ‘right the wrong’ like chivalrous knights of yore, their stories unfold. None of them is supported at home, many are supporting parents so damaged that the children support THEM.
Bushkid, with amazing hair and a gorgeous bluesy singing voice (Kate Donnachie), is the child of successful parents with no time but plenty of money. She loses her beloved bike to the rival gang and everyone loses their phones…
Read the full review on BehindTheArras.com.
