Review: Far Gone (Brixton House)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The characters are fictional, but the world is real,” explained writer-performer John Rwothomack during a brief Q&A after the Brixton House opening of his play Far Gone, a harrowing story of a life that could have been – a life that, for far too many, was. As part of a world tour which has brought the show to London after a six-year delay, Far Gone’s Brixton run continues to prove that this long-gestating work is not only viable, but vital.

Inspired by a near-miss in Rwothomack’s childhood, and by the horrors endured by countless others like him, Far Gone begins prior to its official starting time. Okumu, our protagonist, is already present in the space and inviting audience members to join him in playing with a wooden spinning top. Once the rest of the audience are seated and the auditorium’s doors are closed, Rwothomack, as Okumu, takes those present through the horrors of his life being taken as a child soldier, made to kill, and forced to make ever more challenging decisions to avoid a grisly demise of his own.

Running at barely over and hour, Far Gone is expectedly tense and fast moving, bringing us through a difficult handful of years during which Okumu develops from a small, frail child to a competent, fearsome soldier. Performing the show singlehandedly, Rwothomack delivers an emotive, utterly triumphant performance from start to finish, shifting everything from vocal cadence to the way he holds his body to transition between roles. Even before the show itself begins, there is a great deal of personality to Okumu’s interactions with the audience, which clashes well with his commanding, genuinely frightening portrayal of the Commandant who drafts Okumu into servitude.

This same Commandant brings to attention a powerful quality in Rwothomack’s work – its commentary on complicity and the compulsion of many to fall in line with those in power. The audience are made to repeat phrases to the Commandant, to answer his questions, and certain moments even have the character giving praise to those who answer correctly. With the infamous LRA (Lords Resistance Army) being so central to the narrative, even namechecking Joseph Kony, it’s a powerful thing to be reminded just how easily we can fall under the command of those who we can clearly see are causing serious harm.

Kevin Jenkins’ set design is simple, an image of a hard, rough ground on the floor below and strips of bandages hanging overhead. There are plenty of potential metaphors to be found, from the painful steps Okumu must take, to the constant damage and injury being caused, but the simplicity also allows for the lighting and sound design – by Will Monks and Lee Affen, respectively – to shine through. Monks’ lighting is subtle but essential to our being grounded in Okumu’s world, while Affen’s sound spans from original compositions to distant screams to poetry being read in the background of the performance, allowing a more thorough access to Far Gone’s richly-felt emotions.

Director Mojisola Kareem has helped to shape John Rwothomack’s acting into the forceful performance it now is, bringing out the deepest depth of emotion while showing exquisite restraight where called for. Truly essential for this production is Akeim Toussiant-Buck, the production’s movement director, who has helped Rwothomack to not only create the handful of characters he must embody, but to give each a strong physical identity – not to mention the impactful use of movement to present injury, combat, and even death on stage.

Of course, not on this could be without Rwothomack’s script. A piece written as a promise to himself, and drawing from not only what could have been but what became of far too many, the text is rich, specific, and endlessly powerful. His characters are easy to understand, the plotline deeply impactful even within a comparatively short runtime, and the twists truly compelling and genuinely surprising. The show ends on a powerful and passionate moment, which brings together everything which precedes it while leaving limitless questions for what will become of this character.

A textured and powerful production anchored by the impeccable writing and performance of John Rwothomack, Far Gone is work that should be seen, and its momentum as a world-touring project is proof that these are kinds of stories that need to be told. Each performance ends with a built-in cooldown period, during which audience members are invited to stay in the auditorium, to engage with the team, and to ask any pressing questions to show has left them with. In a world where disconnection seems to be constantly increasing, where hardships continually weigh on our minds, there’s a real beauty in these moments where artist and audience can truly connect, and where what has been shared can be discussed as one.

Far Gone plays at Brixton House until February 21^st

For tickets and information visit https://brixtonhouse.co.uk/shows/far-gone/