Review: Black Power Desk (Brixton House)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Like many, Urielle Klein-Mekongo was taught form an early age about the great Black men and women who shaped the civil rights movement. Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, all of the usual suspects found their way into her cultural knowledge, and yet she would come to realise that these heroes, these founders, these icons, were all part of the American civil rights movement, and that Black British contributions seemed egregiously overlooked on the world stage. With that, research and development would take place resulting in Black Power Desk, a new musical inspired by the British Black Panthers movement and its apex, the 1970 trial of The Mangrove Nine.

Black Power Desk, named for the branch of the Metropolitan Police tasked with monitoring the movement and resulting protests, is set predominantly within The Drum, a London restaurant owned by Carlton and Maya, and in a box-room above which sisters Celia and Dina reside. A popular police target for his gambling and drinking as much as suspicions of radical ties, Carlton and Maya, his wife and co-owner, continue to house covert meetings for their local community, where peaceful protests are planned and more severe methods are suggested.

Klein-Mekongo brings a great deal of humanity to the script, each of the characters easy to connect with from the start, their personalities and dynamics within the group easy to follow. She does particularly well with the sisters, Celia and Dina, bringing to life a compelling narrative where race, politics, and grief all permeate a relationship complicated by loss and by circumstance. Klein-Mekongo also writes a hell of a villain, both the openly malicious and deplorable Officer Pullen but also some later twists which dive into the insidious, ever-present nature of racist discrimination. In response to Irishman Jack coming to the group’s defence, Pullen remarks, “we just need a dog,” in case there was any doubt of his and partner Officer Marks’ beliefs.

Alan Drake shows a total fearlessness in his approach to Pullen, leaning fully into the character’s cruelty and callousness. While it doesn’t allow for much nuance in his performance, that’s hardly called for when villainy is Pullen’s only purpose within the narrative is to represent the biases found within the police at the time. Opposite him, Casey Bird gets to show a bit more delicacy as Officer Marks, tasked with tackling the misogyny that her partner also carries, while still doing plenty to create a menacing and upsetting presence within The Drum. A more tender performance comes courtesy of Tomos Eames as Irish guitarist Jack, who Celia is smitten with but who group leader Dina has understandable suspicions of.

Gerel Falconer and Chanté Faucher bring the medley of warmth and underlying frustrations of a long marriage to The Drum’s owner-operators, carrying their performances with an easy but tense chemistry. Falconer brings a sense of backstory and extended history to both the marriage and Carlton’s friendship with the more openly violent, politically-aggressive Colin, played with assurance and a sense of confidence by Fahad Shaft. Faucher is magnificent as Maya, bringing to life a composed community figure who must constantly worry about the activities and fates of those she holds dear. It’s her presence which unites the group, making it clear to the audience that we are watching a found family fight internal and external battles.

Falconer also acts as co-lyricist alongside Klein-Mekongo, as well as providing his trademark “rapperturgy” to help shape her storytelling into rhythmic sections between scenes and full-scale musical numbers. A combination of witty bars and powerful statements permeate their collaboration, allowing music to meld seamlessly into the story. Klein-Mekongo makes yet another contribution in acting as co-composer alongside Renell Shaw, with whom she brings a mix of genres to the show which reflect and celebrate the Black musicians of the era. With touches of calypso, ska, the hip-hop expected with Falconer’s rhymes, and touches as far flung as grime and soul, the score feels both reminiscent and current, as reverent as it is forward-thinking.

The blending of genres and conversational nature of much of the music means that character-singing and acting through song are more prevalent, but there are some magnificent vocals on show. Alexander Bellinfantie is able to let loose with some triumphant vocals towards the show’s final moments, balancing his understated, voice-of-reason performance as Dina’s partner Jarvis. The women of The Drum get to demonstrate their skills early on, with the impassioned, confrontational “Is It Because I’m a Woman?” in which they put the men in their lives in their place. The company begin the second act with the stirring “Angry Is My Black,” an ensemble piece documented the numerous components of their lives and beings, and how each shapes their relationship with the wider world.

Acting as the emotional core of the production, Celia and Dina are played with passion and power by Rochelle Rose (Celia) and Veronica Carabai (Dina) who also supply some of the show’s finest vocal moments. Alongside the difficult, and well-handled, task of playing a young woman who must fight misogyny within her group as well as lead them against racism in the wider world, Carabai provides a stunning rap breakdown of the rigged system she must endlessly fight during the second act. Meanwhile Rose, as aspiring singer Celia, commands the stage not only with her rich, textured performance, but also with magnificent, soaring vocals. The sisters pair beautifully on the duet “I Don’t Know You Anymore,” and Rose astonishes with the 11 o’clock ballad “What Does That Say About Me?” bringing so much passion to the number that a partial standing ovation broke out during the press night performance.

There’s so much to be said in praise of Black Power Desk, from the uniformly-strong ensemble cast, to the welcome presence of a stellar onstage band – the trio of Daniel Taylor, Tendai Humphrey Sitima and Romarna Campbell, who all play flawlessly – and the abilities of Klein-Mekongo, Shaw and Falconer to ground the whole thing in 70’s London without sacrificing relatability and relevance. Director Gbolahan Obisesan also keeps a careful harmony between the multitude of characters and plot-threads, ensuring that nothing is rushed through or made overwrought, and that everything we are intended to feel is consistently clear and always-effective. A particularly powerful moment demonstrating the emotional and physical brutality of the police raids is helped by the presence of fight director Kemi Durosinmi and intimacy coordinator Tolu Oshodi, who create a truly chilling moment which alters the tone and arc of the entire performance.

Finally, The Drum itself must be praised as a fine creation from designer Natalie Price, detailed with period-appropriate posters and carrying all the charm and pulled-together appearance of a genuine local eatery. It’s the kind of place where you could merrily spend an afternoon chatting with the owners, and the kind of set it’s a delight to see for an evening in Brixton. Terrific atmosphere is brought to the set by the otherwise-understated work of lighting designer Prema Mehta and sound designer Tony Gayle, whose work in creating otherworldly moments as radio broadcasts cement the story’s place in reality and in history I will openly praise, but say no more about to allow for its full impact should you make your way to Brixton House this month.

A powerful and poignant piece of work which deserves to be seen by as many people as possible, Black Power Desk is a triumph in so many regards that I could continue writing for thousands more words without it feeling satisfactory. Urielle Klein-Mekongo, even where collaborating with her colleagues, has brought such a singular vision, such an extraordinary sense of clarity and purpose, that the final product is too bold, too audacious, too essential to be dismissed.

Black Power Desk plays at Brixton House until September 28th

For tickets and information visit https://brixtonhouse.co.uk/shows/black-power-desk/

Photos by Helen Murray