Like the Kiln Theatre the night before, the Royal Court have chosen to revive something for their re-opening, on this occasion their 2019 Theatre Upstairs hit. I knew I wasn’t anywhere near the target demographic, and it often felt like watching a foreign language production, but that didn’t stop me admiring it, and realising its importance for a new generation of theatre-goers.
Cleo and Kara have known each other since school. One is straight and one is gay, both are black, though Cleo sometimes disparagingly refers to Kara as being ‘lighter’. Cleo’s boyfriend has dumped her and she sits in her room venting her frustration on Twitter. When she discovers that Kylie Jenner has become the youngest ‘self-made’ female billionaire, her frustration turns to rage as she tweets the seven methods, which go viral.
After each tweet we are treated to an extraordinary scene to illustrate their impact. In between, Cleo and Kara discuss their lives, loves and feelings, Watching this from a distant age (!) does feel like observing another world, and I missed dialogue and references which did impact my engagement with both the story and the characters of Jasmine Lee-Jones piece. I did however admire its originality and freshness, the theatre-craft of its staging by Milli Bhatia and her design team, and above all two outstanding performances by Leanne Henlon and Tia Bannon.
Well done Royal Court for championing these new voices which, judging by the reaction last night, have an audience ready and waiting.
Gareth's Culture and Travel Blog 
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