Review: The Purists (Kiln Theatre)

Review by Sam Waite

⭐️⭐️⭐️

It's a naïve idea, but a nice one, that those we find ourselves closest to will share our core values, will agree with our firmest opinions. In The Purists, Dan McCabe’s play bringing Queens to the Kiln Theatre, proximity proves to be a more powerful cause for more unlikely friendships.

Set largely on the stoop of their apartment building, Bugz and Gerry are at odds more often than not. Musical theatre super-fan and one-time millionaire Gerry despairs at the hip-hop selections of DJ Bugz and his rapper friend Lamont, but can't help but find himself lingering with his cigarette to chat with the boys. Firming up the unlikely troupe is Val, a radio intern turned aspiring rapper, who is not only madly in love with Bugz but also happens to be Gerry's drug dealer.

There is some suspension of disbelief required – Gerry admits to considering Lamont a friend despite declaring him a homophobe, and Lamont’s defensiveness around hip-hop as a Black art form has a blind spot for Puerto Rican Val. Still, such confusing bonds can blossom in real life, and McCabe’s script gradually sheds light on how flexible the group's perspectives can become. This is a key strength of McCabe's writing, his characters carrying enough complexity that their broader traits become part of a richer, more sensitive portrait.

Less solid is the show's pacing. With some heavy themes to delve into and some genuinely impactful moments to be shared, it can feel at times like the slice of life elements add just a bit too much length to scenes. These more impactful moments demonstrate McCabe’s ability to fill in history and backstories without info-dumping, and so our being allowed to meet the characters and grow to understand them in slower scenes begins to feel unnecessary. While director Amit Sharma keeps a lively energy throughout the evening, the problem of pacing is too ingrained in the text for him to properly negate it.

The cast have a firm chemistry that helps to sell the most unlikely connections, and everyone is willing to make somewhat of a fool of themselves to fully embody their characters. In the second act, Emma Kingston completes the ensemble as white hip-hop enthusiast Nancy, and her rap battle with Val benefits from the nervous energy both she and Tiffany Gray bring to their roles. Likewise, a tender-turned-comical-turned-tragic moment between Gerry and Bugz is helped by both Jasper Britton’s (as Gerry) and Richard Pepple’s (Bugz) takes in guardedness and implied emotional boundaries.

Lamont’s characterisation deepens in the second act, after meeting Nancy and discovering a difficult truth about Bugz. Sule Rimi mines these new developments to make increasingly open intolerances and prejudice in Lamont's worldview steadily more apparent, and sickeningly easy to understand. While never finding yourself agreeing with one tirade in particular, it's easy to see how his life and experiences brought him to this harsh, distorted conclusion. The work of the actors helps to emphasise McCabe’s characters' carefully-positioned blind spots – in Lamont’s eyes, what is okay for Gerry is not for Bugz, and perhaps the selectiveness of this prejudice is what allows Gerry to maintain their friendship.

Tom Piper’s set design keeps the two main locales – the stoop, and Gerry’s apartment above it – in constant view with his two-levelled, graffiti-laden set. Combined with the slub-like opening from Bugz’s balcony, the aesthetics here help to settle the audience into this imagined version of Queens, and clarify immediately the mixing-pot environment in which the play is set. Visually striking and smoothening transitions from one location to the other, Piper’s work is utterly magnificent.

Similarly essential to grounding the work in its setting is Hazel Holder, the voice and dialect coach for the production. Shaping the accents and tonality of the performers not only in their dialogue but in moments of rapping, Holder is a key part of each character’s realisation – from Gerry's snide drawl to Nancy’s surprisingly smooth flow, to the nervous energy consistent in Val’s speech patterns, to the almost bored nature of Lamont’s deliveries. The work here feels fully collaborative, clear that many hands have helped shape these characters into the final products seen on stage.

Sometimes uneven but never dull, The Purists feels truly grounded in its setting, and everyone involved seems to understand the intentions behind McCabe’s words. Perhaps a touch too long and with some fat still to be trimmed, the play touches on important topics with nuance and grace, all mined for great moments by its stellar cast. Its slow build can feel like it takes longer than it ought to, but the power of The Purists’ payoff is undeniable.

The Purists plays at the Kiln Theatre until December 21st

For tickets and information visit https://kilntheatre.com/whats-on/the-purists/#

Photos by Marc Brenner