Review: Slave Play (Noël Coward Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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When it comes to striking and memorable plays in the West End, 2024 is proving to be a very strong year. One play that has got people talking more than most, right from its initial announcement, was the West End premiere of Slave Play. Having held the record for the most Tony award nominations (until it was beaten this year), there was plenty to be excited about with its London debut, particularly on a personal level as I had adored writer Jeremy O. Harris’ other play Daddy when I reviewed it in 2022. Would Slave Play manage to live up to the hype and the impossibly high bar set by his previous work? The marketing for this centres around the question “Is London ready for Slave Play?” and that really is the question.

A slight warning before I unpack the contents of this play. Where I try to keep my reviews as spoiler-free as possible as I am a firm believer in people experiencing shows for themselves to enjoy the maximum impact, Slave Play is a show that requires a bit of unravelling to review. While I will still reveal as little as possible, tackling its themes and contents will give away parts of it. If you would rather not know, look away now. You have been warned.

Originally staged off-Broadway in 2018, Slave Play made the leap to Broadway in 2019 and now crosses the pond for its first international production. Split into three acts, it starts at the MacGregor Plantation where three separate stories seemingly play out featuring three “masters/mistresses” and their workers. As the three stories build until they explode, expectations are immediately subverted when the reality of the situation reveals itself – three interracial couples are undergoing Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy, with the words “Slave Play” referring to the role-play exercise that opens the story. As Slave Play veers down a different path, the original themes and revelations from this role-play exercise threatens to reveal truths about the couples and their dynamics in what could change everything between them.

The narrative strands in Slave Play are complex, dealing with themes of race, identity and sexuality with trauma at the heart of the story. While I found the first part of the play incredibly uncomfortable to watch, it very much felt like that was the intent. There is a wonder if some may not recover from the extremities in this opening act but, for me personally, the payoff more than made this worthwhile. Jeremy O. Harris’ writing is raw and unflinching with no holds barred as it exposes some core themes which draw comparison from attitudes that should no longer be prevalent in society, while highlighting how they still are. While these grander themes are present, the intelligence in his writing takes a far more intimate look at the individuals in this story and their own trauma in multi-layered exploratory writing with no shortage of exposition.

The star of this show truly is Jeremy O. Harris’ writing. With a distinctive style, he manages to create a rich world with plenty to unpack throughout –, this real and raw approach veers from witty to gritty, with no shortage of emotion always bubbling in the background. With the three couples evenly weighted through the bulk of the play, the writing allows each of these six individuals (as well as the two therapists to a slightly lesser extent) to have their histories and intricacies of their characters revealed gradually and naturally in a fantastic example of delicate writing. Each of these six get moments throughout to experience these revelations, with Jeremy’s writing also allowing subtle moments as the white members of the couples attempt to dominate and minimise their partners’ voices.

It’s an understatement to suggest the writing may make some uncomfortable but I am a firm believer that theatre at its best should make you feel in any shape or form, and discomfort can be a good thing. I said a similar thing in my review of The Pillowman last year – while that proved incredibly divisive amongst critics and audience members, I want to come out of a theatre feeling something – anything. Whether that be elation, sorrow or discomfort. The worst thing is to come out of a show feeling absolutely nothing. With Slave Play, you can consider that a job well done as the conflicted feelings I had throughout the play and as I attempted to process it on the way home were almost overwhelming. This is a play that will stay with me for a long time, challenging attitudes and giving me pause for thought.

Robert O’Hara’s direction perfectly complements Harris’ writing, delivering a mix of intimacy and overblown moments as the story demands it. With a relatively small space to play with, O’Hara creates thrilling ways to convey the story, particularly in the show’s prolonged second act, as characters pace around or stay still in their chairs, always captivating, particularly in reactions when others are talking – special mention has to go to the scene-stealing but ever so subtle reactions of Tea (Chalia La Tour). Clint Ramos’ set design centres around an imposing mirrored wall, which adapts and reveals itself throughout, culminating in a fantastic transformation for the show’s climactic act. Working with Jiyoun Chang’s lighting to highlight a picture in the audience many will only see through the mirrors, it is an inspired touch in what is a fairly minimalistic approach but expertly realised.

The beauty in Slave Play is that every character feels equally weighted, aside from the climactic scene giving an extra focus on one couple in particular. Annie McNamara and Aaron Heffernan take on one of the couples as Alana and Phillip. Their initially exaggerated role-play scene paves way to a polar opposite in Heffernan’s slow burn but ultimately revelatory Philip, while McNamara expresses similarities in an overstated portrayal. The contrast between them creates a gripping dynamic and some of the more comedic moments of the play, while Heffernan’s lightbulb moment as the play progresses is the pinnacle in a versatile performance from him.

Fisayo Akinade and James Cusati-Moyer take on couple Gary and Dustin in two highly heightened performances, expertly performed. As both try to make sense of the trauma from their pasts and what this means for the state of their relationship, it allows for some of the more memorable and powerful moments in the play. While both actors wow consistently, it is Akinade’s explosive moment as Gary that ultimately wows in a stunning sequence that took my breath away in its execution. While not one of the three main couples and late additions to the proceedings, Chalia La Tour and Irene Sofia Lucio add an extra layer to Slave Play as they take charge of the second act. With a dynamic that supposedly contrasts the three couples but ultimately ends up mirroring them as their relationship proves to suffer from the same issues they believe have been resolved. If I have one minor criticism of this play, it is that I wanted to see more from them and their relationship as I found this aspect and the changes it brought to the play intriguing. However, a play that leaves you wanting more can only be a good thing.

The cast are completed by Kit Harrington and Olivia Washington as Jim and Kaneisha. Harrington’s time in the story is varied throughout but the one consistency is in the standard of his incredible performance. While Harrington may be the biggest name in the cast, he certainly doesn’t have the biggest role, happily taking a seat while the others shine, namely his partner. In this partnership, his impressive portrayal is eclipsed by Washington’s Kaneisha who rightly dominates. In a real test of patience, she delivers a slow burning performance initially which evolves into something miraculous. In a performance that feels frantic and urgent, Washington thrills and captivates, particularly as she delves into her own trauma, harking back to her ancestry and what has been inherited from past generations. The standout performance of the play bar none, her abilities are showcased further in the climactic scene that sees the pair take centre stage without their fellow couples. Mirroring the opening scene and ramping up the uncomfortable elements of the play, Harrington and Washington flawlessly deliver a demanding series of events. The ambiguity of the ending may come as a surprise to some, but ensures you leave the theatre with your mind racing in a testament to how brilliantly every aspect of Slave Play is played out.

Usually, I get a sense of whether I am going to love a show or not fairly quickly. That did not happen with Slave Play. The gratuitous and deeply uncomfortable nature of the first part had me feeling the complete opposite. This feeling changed immediately with the utterance of the word “Starbucks” (other coffee shops are available). Suddenly, everything that had eluded me made sense, with all the seemingly insignificant nuggets of information dropped in the opening act more than paying off in a satisfying way. In that respect, Slave Play is unique in its approach and incredibly special in doing so. Brave in its storytelling style, this is a show that demands you pay attention, use your mind and don’t write it off before you even know what it is about – a mistake I very nearly made. The result is one of the most powerful and thought-provoking shows I have seen in a long time, and one I don’t think I will forget in a hurry.

While the fact it is an uneven and uncomfortable watch may prove divisive amongst some people, for me, this led to an incredibly impactful watch that I felt encapsulated everything theatre should be while being unlike anything else you are likely to ever see. An absolutely vital watch whose message should be shared far and wide, the answer to the question used in the marketing isn’t just that London is ready for Slave Play, it’s that London needs this play.

Slave Play runs at the Noel Coward Theatre until 21st September. Tickets from www.noelcowardtheatre.co.uk 

Photos by Helen Murray