Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog

I loved Inua Ellams last play, The Barbershop Chronicles, so much so that I went twice. This is a very different proposition, a storytelling two-hander, a poem really. The staging and performances are excellent, but I’m afraid I failed to engage with the story.

Demi is a Nigerian basketball prodigy. We learn that he is the result of his mother Modupe’s rape by Greek god Zeus, the prize in a bet with a Yoruba god. Demi is therefore a half god, which gives him powers over and above his sporting prowess. When he learns how he was conceived, he’s intent on revenge. Half god v the most powerful god of all.

The performances of Kwami Odoom as Demi and Rakie Ayola as Modupe are captivating, prowling around the stage, very animated. Max Johns’ simple design, Jackie Shemesh striking lighting, Tanuja Amarasuriya’s atmospheric sound design and Imogen Knight’s movement contribute significantly to Nancy Medina’s excellent staging. In the end though it was the story itself which left me cold. The previous play had so much truth, humanity and energy. This just had energy.