Review by Dan Sinclair
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The hockey mask belongs to Jason Vorhees, The boiler suit is Michael Myers’. The striped jumper and claw glove are Freddie Krueger’s. Tife Kusoro brings us a brand new iconic horror character, Baitface the Gullyman with his crystal white puffer, trainers and balaclava (or bally). Recipient of the 2023 George Devine Award, G is billed as a ‘mysterious coming of age play’. Whilst this is true, it is so much more: a wild blend of classic horror, urban folklore, surrealism, social injustice and to top it off - it might be the most exciting new play I have seen in a long time.
Every boogeyman needs a mysterious backstory. Look back into the ancient sands of time to 2004, a young black teenager was knocked down outside a cornershop, leaving just his pair of white trainers hanging from a telephone line. He roams the streets, seeking revenge on any young black boy that dares to walk underneath the trainers with his face exposed and will stop at nothing to destroy them… or so the legend goes. He’s gotten many a teenager before, apparently even Daniel Kaluuya. Three friends, Kai, Joy and Khaleem seek to raise his spirit for themselves and see whether the myth of Baitface is really true.
The play opens in darkness, with pulsing music strongly reminiscent of the theme to Halloween, we see Baitface raise from his tomb, accompanied by flickering lights and strobe. This sets the tone for the next 80 minutes, it’s a clever homage to every 80’s slasher film whilst remaining effortlessly cool and contemporary. We meet two of our characters, Kai and Joy. Kai, performed by Selorm Adonu is firmly a Baitface sceptic. Whilst not fully on board at the start, he’s quick to make some money from selling ballys so that people can cover their faces whilst going under the trainers. He’s cheeky, light on his feet and is utterly convincing as a year 11.
With Monique Touko’s direction, the entire cast do an exceptional job of ‘playing young’, lightyears away from Stockard Channing in Grease. Kadiesha Belgrave is Joy, a young trans man who is more on board with the legend. In Kusoro’s writing, this is structured expertly. Joy’s identity is not really discussed until about two thirds of the way through the play, you just accept him as he is, as one of Kai and Khaleems friends. However, when tensions start to flare, Joy’s manhood is questioned in passing comments by his supposed friends.
As you see in Belgrave’s heartbreaking performance, it hits Joy and the audience out of nowhere and adds a whole new layer to the story. Khaleem (and this guy at school called Abraham) is our source for all Baitface folklore, he knows the story and even sees visions in his sleep. As Khaleem, Ebenezer Gyau is haunted but always loveable. He is also at the centre of a police investigation, three black boys were seen in ‘a london borough’ at ‘a time’ being aggressive. This is the mystery that runs throughout the play. Was it Khaleem, Kai and Joy, and if not - why can’t they remember where they were that night? Gyau drives this plotline throughout the play, with a performance that doesn’t miss a single beat. It would be wrong of me to not mention the final performer, Dani Harris-Walters as Baitface the Gullyman. What he lacks in dialogue, he makes up for in droves with an immense physical performance. His physicality around the space and movement direction by Kloé Dean is hypnotic and other-worldy. He is a monstrous spirit, but not like one you’ve ever seen before.
G is a great example of a quality writer and director working in complete sync. It is so stylistically consistent. The lights, the sound, the acting, and the tiny references to classic horror (eg: the monster pressing itself against a melting wall from Nightmare on Elm Street), everything is perfect. The setup gives us and the characters a horror villain scapegoat in Baitface. He’ll curse you to receive unfair treatment from teachers, get stopped and searched outside a Sainsbury’s, and he’ll get people to call the police on you for just standing on the street. As the play reveals however, the true evil is in fact not Baitface, and is something much scarier. G is a cutting, hilarious thinker of a play, I urge anyone who can to go and watch it as soon as you possibly can.
G is showing at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs until 21st September.
Tickets can be found here: https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/g/
Photos by Isha Shah
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