Review: Tambo & Bones at HOME is ‘ambitious, bold, gutsy…. and terrific’

With many theatres feeling forced to play it safe with the same plays, ready to run in rotation because they guarantee bums on seats, there is something really refreshing about Dave Harris’ ambitious, bold, gutsy and at times, terrific play Tambo & Bones.

Directed by Matthew Xia, we begin in Waiting for Godot territory, as we spend time with a double act who are seeking different ways to make cash. They need a dollar, dollar, a dollar is what they need. They begin to discuss this, and then we explore black history and gallop through the key moments that bring us to the here and now and beyond.

Tambo & Bones at HOME

We realise that Tambo & Bones are stuck in a minstrel show, and it becomes more meta than Deadpool. And because of this, there are awkward moments and scenes which provoke silence from the audience, as you navigate this darkly comic world that they inhabit. And you have to face the uncomfortable truth, that you live in this world, too. And you have been watching, eating nachos on your lap, silent, as violence erupts like a frustrated volcano, burning anyone who ventures to close.

This scene is so effective and fearless because, unlike some productions, we are forced to sit with the silence. And it brings a whole new meaning to the term white noise. My only wish is that this section were longer, as it does make you question what you have been witnessing, and how you have been complicit by being silent.

But we jump straight into a full-blown hip-hop gig, which has a completely different effect on the audience. It does cover what you expect, storytelling to bring in the cash from a white audience, who want to hear about the ‘struggles’, as they jump into their Uber and lock their gated homes and settle down in their realisation that the life they just heard about will never be their struggle. Phew! Binge The White Lotus and move on.

Well-landing messages

This is a rousing section of the show, and the messages do land well, particularly with younger members of the audience. But if you have seen the likes of Janelle Monae perform, you will have seen this done with great songs which have a natural narrative thread running through the middle.

Clifford Samuel and Daniel Ward are incredible performers, as they are essentially starring in three plays in one. They have great comic timing as the duo is trapped in the blazing hot sun, as we sit and watch, longing for them to escape. The hip hop gig is full on, and they cover every inch of the stage, and it feels like Saturday night any day of the week, due to their boundless energy.

Within the third act, we come back down to earth as they narrate a dark story featuring two white robots. Brace yourself, as this really is quite something. The boldness returns and you begin to find yourself at the beginning of the story, and it hits you like a relentless fist in the face from a boxer who is determined to keep their crown. This is brutal but essential.

Ciarán Cunnigham’s striking lighting design

Ciarán Cunnigham’s striking lighting design makes you uncomfortable in your seat one minute, as there is nowhere to hide. The next it provides gloss and sheen to the slick world of big budget hip hop, arena style.

Matthew Xia describes this production as genre-busting. And he is right, as you do not quite know what is coming next. There is the odd flaw, as it throws so much at you, that your emotional response is slightly stunted, as there is no time for you to process. And we do rush to the hip hop section, and I would have preferred to revel a bit longer in the awkwardness of the first act, as it really does live rent-free at the front of your mind.

But in a world filled with predictable, crowd-pleasing films, TV, and theatre, Tambo & Bones kicks your ass, subverts your expectations, challenges you and at the same time, it entertains you, and by the close, you are left feeling quite numb.

Great theatre should stir you. And Tambo & Bones does more than that, it is a one-off and it grabs you from the get-go and there is no let-up.

Tickets for Tambo & Bones is at HOME

Tambo & Bones is at HOME until 5^th April and can be booked here