Review: 81 (Life) (Almeida Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️

Following on from 2023’s 24 (Day), the second instalment of a planned “Islington Trilogy” heads to the Almeida Theatre for a three-day showing of 81 (Life). Taking its title from the average life expectancy in the London borough, its aim is to cram an entire lifetime into one show in a love letter to the area and the community that calls it home. Through a rather abstract structure, would I find myself living for this well-intended piece?

While I have never lived in Islington myself, I have had links to the area throughout my life. I went to university there and worked in the area for a spell. My most obvious tie to the area now is through theatre, with Islington boasting no shortage of great theatres from the King’s Head Theatre, to Sadler’s Wells (where I found myself the night before this one), the array of pubs that have theatre space above or behind them and, of course, the Almeida Theatre, one of my favourite theatres in the Capital. And don’t even get me started on all of the outstanding restaurants to be found in the area. There is much to love about Islington as a borough, so I was equally excited and intrigued to see how this community project would unfold.

Describing itself as part poem, part game-show, and part play, 81 (Life) is certainly unconventional in its approach. It begins with 60 strangers gathered in a park where they have been told they have been watched for a year. Think Big Brother meets Squid Game.  They are then given four questions that form the basis of the subsequent show: how to begin, how to join, how to choose, and how to let go. At its heart, it is an investigation into what it means to be human – something we can all relate to, no matter how familiar we are with the area and its residents.

Written by Rhianna Ilube, the intent of 81 (Life) is every bit as admirable as it is ambitious. From its openly abstract structure, refusing to conform to any sort of convention, and its ridiculously large cast of more than 60 people, it doesn’t make it easy for itself, and that is a big reason for why it frequently struggles. The sense of the story seems to get lost along the way, with scenes stitched together and not flowing naturally. The large cast makes the thing slightly too busy as well, though the play comes alive when fewer people fill the stage, allowing the writing to shine through and the story to thrive. This showcases the potential of the story, though this hasn’t been executed as neatly as you would have hoped.

Structurally, 81 (Life) is a bit too all over the place, with poor pacing one of the biggest problems found throughout. An overly long beginning and an end that similarly outstays its welcome are disappointing bookends where the audience too often find themselves watching nothing at all happening on stage, save for a bit of humming and walking around in a circle. A couple of moments involving audience participation also kill the momentum, with too long given to a bit at the end where each audience member wrote something down. The loud level of chatter should have raised alarm bells that this had gone on too long – this was especially disappointing, as Act Two had proved far stronger than the much me,ssier first Act up until this point.

The majority of Act Two is filled in the form of a game show, named “The Right Choice”. While this proves quite entertaining for the most part and is the closest the show comes to finding its accurate voice, it too goes on far too long and would have benefited from being far speedier. The strongest part of the show in hindsight, is the second question “To join”, thanks in part to a charismatic turn from Anya (with such a large cast, I am unable to find which actor this was). It was this section where the writing and acting synced up, and there was a cohesive nature missing elsewhere in 81 (Life).

With such a large cast, inconsistencies and challenges were bound to arise. Though some stood out from the crowd, delivering strong performances, others didn’t fare as well, with nervous deliveries – though this can be understood given the fact that these aren’t professional actors, and all should be commended for giving it their best. What was more frustrating was the inability to hear many of them. Though it may not be possible to give every cast member a microphone when you have a cast of this size, actors not projecting their voices and even whispering meant the lines were often inaudible – though this may be a community project, when you are staging it somewhere like the Almeida Theatre, you would hope this necessity would be caught prior to the first performance. There was also the sense that the whole thing was a bit too under-rehearsed, though again, given the size of this cast, that may have been unavoidable.

One aspect that was joyous to see was how wonderfully representative this production was. Demonstrating the beautiful diversity Islington has to offer, this was one of the best examples of representation I have seen on stage, and one that other productions could learn a lot from. It was also commendable to see a British Sign Language interpreter included, making the show as accessible as all shows should be.

Community theatre is important, and a show such as 81 (Life) taking to the stage somewhere as prestigious as the Almeida Theatre puts a much-needed spotlight on this wonderful initiative. The show has no shortage of potential – unfortunately, despite how admirable and ambitious this production is, I couldn’t completely overlook its significant flaws as a piece. Two of the themes in this show are about letting go and beginning again – if it takes its own advice, I have no doubt it can find a solid story in there somewhere, one fitting of the community it so beautifully loves. That said, 81 (Life) may be slightly messy, full of ups and downs, surprising and inconsistent… but then again, so is life. If the aim was to make a show that was perfectly representative of how uneven life can be, this was a job well done. I do see what this show was trying to achieve, and have the utmost respect for all involved in bringing it to life – it just needs a bit more work and structure before it continues its life.

81 (Life) plays at Almeida Theatre until 23^rd August. Tickets from https://almeida.co.uk/whats-on/81-life/

Photos by Marc Dawson