Theatre Review: Clyde’s, Donmar Warehouse - a feast of a production.

Cast of Clyde’s. Image Credit: Marc Brenner.

⭑⭑⭑⭑

It is clear to see why Lynn Nottage is a double Pulitzer Prize winner in this follow-on from her 2018 play Sweat which won her the second. Like Sweat, this is directed by Lynette Linton and is a roaring success.

Whilst the two pieces are connected by the character of Jason, you certainly do not have to have seen the former to see and enjoy Clyde’s, which is an absolute feast. And I mean that literally - they make about 20 sandwiches in the show.

But really, it is a total feast. First for the eyes - this set is jam packed. It is set in a diner’s kitchen, and no detail has gone missed. For all intents and purposes, this is a functional kitchen and everywhere you look there is something new to notice. Credit to designer Frankie Bradshaw who has done nothing short of exceptional work on this set.

The show feels like you are watching a classic sitcom from the 90s/00s - the pacing is reminiscent of shows like My Wife and Kids, Fresh Prince, or Kenan and Kel, and the way music and movement are used for scene transitions also feels very TV. Almost like we are the live studio audience they’re filming these episodes in front of, especially as food goes flying, sometimes landing in the front rows.

If this show is a sandwich, then it certainly isn’t all bread and no filling, because the themes explored in this are meaty. Identity, found family, trauma and trauma responses, and the power of purpose are all explored, but it doesn’t feel heavy. Lynn’s commentary on just how easy it is for almost anyone in society to fall through the cracks, how one mistake can turn your life upside down, and how systems are stacked against you finding your feet again is poetic, nuanced and necessary.

Giles Terera is spectacular as Montrellous. The three younger characters idolise him, looking to him for guidance, and it’s not hard to imagine the same is true of the actors themselves. There’s a lyricism to how he delivers his lines, as though this is a spoken word piece and not just a play, a rhythm to how he moves. As he shows us as Montrellous that there is an art and beauty to life once you’ve found your purpose, we can see the same clearly in Terera who is one of Britain’s finest stage performers.

There isn’t a single weak link in this cast. The chemistry between Ronkẹ Adékoluẹjo and Sebastian Orozco is a joy to watch, dynamic and captivating, whilst Patrick Gibson cuts a surprisingly sympathetic figure as Jason. You can see Gbemisola Ikumelo is having a blast as Clyde - a layered character who is the polar opposite of Montrellous. Where he is calm and collected, she is brash and chaotic.

My one qualm with this production is that it feels like it is just missing a final ingredient. It feels like these characters are so layered, with so much potential to explore that this format can’t quite contain it. Or rather it can’t quite scratch further than the surface. Just as you are getting into backstory or romantic subplot, the moment is gone and we’re on to the next. Lynn Nottage has created characters with so much potential in this piece, but it sort of feels like she’s had to reduce them in order for the piece to be done in a theatre format.

Ultimately though, this piece feels authentic. It feels rooted in truth, and in humanity. It feels as though if I flew myself to the USA tomorrow, and stopped by any diner on any backroad in New York, I could see these scenes playing out in real time. I could hear these conversations, watch these struggles and relationships be navigated. It holds a mirror up to life but amplifies the hope, and to me that is what great art is about.

Clyde’s is running at the Donmar Warehouse until December 2nd. Tickets available here.