Deptford Baby is a poetic and powerful piece of storytelling at Jack Studio Theatre
“When I say Deptford, you say Baby”
From the adaptable space of a black box theatre to the grandeur of West End houses, there’s something to be said for the disruption of convention, a shaking up of what we normally expect when entering a theatre. Such a shift happens as you enter the Jack Studio for Deptford Baby, welcomed by DJ Tommy Tappah playing some bangers and soon wrapping us all up in call-and-responses . It really does reset the atmosphere, leaving the audience in a more receptive place.
Which is where we need to be for Chukwudi Onwere’s “anarchic-urban epic tale”, a rippling yarn that imbues its magical realism with social reality, its fairytale-esque escapades rooted in the sight, smells and social fabric of his beloved Deptford. Onwere plays Chino Igwe, an aspiring novelist still living at home at 39 but about to turn in his Masters thesis on Black British history. As he feels on the precipice of momentous personal change, rumblings of a massive flood herald something much more chaotic.
What follows is a florid hour, deeply descriptive as Chino and his community do battle with giant fish, evil serpents and the all-too-real demon of gentrification. Early on, Chino cites a wide range of his literary inspirations and Onwere cleverly folds many of these into the storytelling – the glittering darkness of Philip Ridley, the familial detail of Chinua Achebe, the grotesque humour of Roald Dahl. The resulting combination is a South East London hero’s quest like no other, influenced by Morley’s as much as magic.
Marley-Rose Liburd’s production does well to carry that initial energy throughout, albeit in different ways. Carey Chomsoonthorn’s lighting design delivers spectacularly in its transformational power, Marc Pouani’s movement work bring subtle strength to Onwere’s physical performance and Tappah remains on-hand to provide occasional amusing support as well as the pulsing sound design. The show may contain a shaky Scouse accent at times but the hilarious and touching embodiment of Chino’s father and auntie more than make up for it.
