Kiln Theatre, London – until 17 May 2019
In the same way that the Marvel Universe mixes superpowers with mortal flaws, the scope of The Half God of Rainfall stretches to another galaxy but all the time remains profoundly human.
Inua Ellams’ play at the Kiln Theatre is an epic battle of gods from Greek and Yoruba myths anchored in contemporary culture by the sport of basketball and a bit of girl power. Given the god-like status afforded sporting stars – if you are a fan of basketball there are plenty of nods – it’s not a huge leap from battles on the court to battles among deities.
And neither is it a leap from the #metoo campaign to the abused women of Greek mythology. Straddling the realms of gods and humans is Demi (Kwame Odoom) born out of the violent rape of his mortal mother Modupe (Rakie Ayola) and thunder god Zeus.
Demi’s emotions can make it rain to the point of flooding and he also has a god-like knack for scoring basketball hoops. However, he lives in times when the gods feel easily threatened by powers beyond their own and status.
His fiercely protective and devoted mother takes him from his small village in Nigeria to the US to keep him out of the way but when Demi becomes a star basketball player Zeus’s jealousy puts him in danger.
Ellams’ script paints a vivid picture that is both intimate and epic and it wouldn’t work as well if not for the skilful performances of Odoom and Ayola. They effortlessly mix the stature of ancient myth with a contemporary inflection.
Demi is, for the most part, a kid with innocent wonder, sometimes petulant, sometimes cheeky but with a good heart. However, it is Modupe who, in channelling the power of a mother’s love and female exasperation at the male ego, the violence and abuse, proves the hero.
She is a god for modern women.
Powers and flaws
In the same way that the Marvel Universe mixes superpowers with mortal flaws, the scope of The Half God of Rainfall stretches to another galaxy but all the time remains profoundly human.
It is one hour and 20 minutes without an interval and I’m giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
See it at the Kiln Theatre until 17 May.
You might also like to read:
Interview: Libby Liburd and Cathy Tyson talk about writing and performing in women’s boxing drama Fighter.
From the archive: How the theatre obsession started as explained in my first Rev Stan’s Theatre blog post.
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